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Severe sleep apnea tied to increased risk of death
August 18, 2009Landmark study provides strongest evidence to date
WHAT: Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of death from any cause in middle-aged adults, especially men, according to new results from a landmark study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The new findings provide the strongest evidence to date of a link between increased risk of death and sleep apnea, a common disorder in which the upper airway is intermittently narrowed during sleep, causing breathing to be difficult or completely blocked.
Overall, study participants with severe sleep apnea were at a 46 percent increased risk of death compared to those who did not have the breathing condition. The mortality risk was most apparent in men, who were more likely to die from any cause as well as from heart disease if they had severe sleep apnea. In particular, men between the ages of 40 and 70 with severe sleep apnea were twice as likely to die during the study compared to their peers who did not have the condition.
"Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study," is published in the August 18 issue of the open-access journal PLoS Medicine.
Researchers from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) studied more than 6,000 men and women aged 40 years and older who had no sleep apnea or had mild, moderate, or severe sleep apnea as determined by a standard at-home sleep test at the beginning of the study. After an average of eight years, participants who had severe sleep apnea at enrollment were one and one-half times more likely to die from any cause, regardless of age, gender, race, or weight, or whether they were a current or former smoker or had other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes.
The results confirm findings from smaller, community-based studies which have suggested increased frequency of death among adults with sleep apnea. SHHS, which was conducted in seven medical centers across the United States, is the largest and most comprehensive prospective multi-center study to date on the risk of cardiovascular disease and other conditions related to sleep apnea. Earlier findings from SHHS have shown that untreated sleep apnea is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart failure, and stroke. Other studies have also linked untreated sleep apnea with overweight and obesity, and diabetes. In addition, untreated sleep apnea contributes to excessive daytime sleepiness, which lowers performance in the workplace and at school, and increases the risk of injuries and death from drowsy driving and other accidents.
More than 12 million adult Americans are believed to have sleep apnea, and most are not diagnosed or treated. Treatments to restore regular breathing during sleep include lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, surgery, and breathing devices, such as continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP.
These treatments appear to help reduce the severity of symptoms such as loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness, thereby improving sleep-related quality of life and performance. Randomized clinical trials to test whether treating sleep apnea lowers the risk of death and cardiovascular disease are needed.
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RESOURCES:
* Sleep Apnea, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/SleepApnea_WhatIs.html
* Your Guide to Healthy Sleep, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.htm
* The NHLBI Study Shows Association Between Sleep Apnea and Hypertension, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/press/apr11-00.htm
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit: http://www.nih.gov
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
"Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study," is published in the August 18 issue of the open-access journal PLoS Medicine.
Researchers from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) studied more than 6,000 men and women aged 40 years and older who had no sleep apnea or had mild, moderate, or severe sleep apnea as determined by a standard at-home sleep test at the beginning of the study. After an average of eight years, participants who had severe sleep apnea at enrollment were one and one-half times more likely to die from any cause, regardless of age, gender, race, or weight, or whether they were a current or former smoker or had other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes.
The results confirm findings from smaller, community-based studies which have suggested increased frequency of death among adults with sleep apnea. SHHS, which was conducted in seven medical centers across the United States, is the largest and most comprehensive prospective multi-center study to date on the risk of cardiovascular disease and other conditions related to sleep apnea. Earlier findings from SHHS have shown that untreated sleep apnea is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart failure, and stroke. Other studies have also linked untreated sleep apnea with overweight and obesity, and diabetes. In addition, untreated sleep apnea contributes to excessive daytime sleepiness, which lowers performance in the workplace and at school, and increases the risk of injuries and death from drowsy driving and other accidents.
More than 12 million adult Americans are believed to have sleep apnea, and most are not diagnosed or treated. Treatments to restore regular breathing during sleep include lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, surgery, and breathing devices, such as continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP.
These treatments appear to help reduce the severity of symptoms such as loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness, thereby improving sleep-related quality of life and performance. Randomized clinical trials to test whether treating sleep apnea lowers the risk of death and cardiovascular disease are needed.
###
RESOURCES:
* Sleep Apnea, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/SleepApnea_WhatIs.html
* Your Guide to Healthy Sleep, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.htm
* The NHLBI Study Shows Association Between Sleep Apnea and Hypertension, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/press/apr11-00.htm
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit: http://www.nih.gov
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Sleep Apnea Current Events and Sleep Apnea News RSSFighting Sleep, Penn Researchers Reverse the Cognitive Impairment Caused By Sleep Deprivation
A research collaboration led by biologists and neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania has found a molecular pathway in the brain that is the cause of cognitive impairment due to sleep deprivation.
Improved diet and exercise alone unlikely to cure obstructive sleep apnea in obese patients
A study in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that while a strict diet and exercise program may benefit obese patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it is unlikely to eliminate the condition.
Surgery is an option for some patients hoping to get a good night's rest
According to research recently published by an Oregon Health & Science University scientist, a form of surgery called uvopalatopharyngoplasty is effective for treating certain patients who suffer from sleep apnea, one of the most common sleep disorders.
Being overweight super-sizes both risk and consequences of sleep-disordered breathing
Overweight individuals are not just at greater risk of having sleep-disordered-breathing (SDB), they are also likely to suffer greater consequences, according to new research.
Minimally invasive procedure effective for treating snoring
Radiofrequency ablation, a procedure that uses heat to shrink the tissue of the soft palate, is an effective and minimally invasive procedure that can be used to treat patients who snore.
Many patients with sleep apnea also suffer from GI tract conditions
Patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also tend to have additional gastrointestinal (GI) tract conditions, such as gastric reflux and hiatal hernia, which form at the opening in your diaphragm where your food pipe (esophagus) joins your stomach.
Radiofrequency energy technique as effective as tonsillectomy surgery
Radiofrequncy-tonsillotomy, which enables surgeons to reduce the size of the tonsillar tissue instead of removing the tonsils entirely, seems to be an effective and safe method of treating children with symptoms of enlarged tonsils.
Stress, fatigue plague patients with allergic rhinitis and obstructive sleep apnea
Patients who suffer from both allergic rhinitis and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may experience escalated symptoms of stress and fatigue.
Obstructive sleep apnea is prevalent in adults with Down syndrome
A study in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that adults with Down syndrome also frequently suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Cognitive behavioral therapy improves sleep and pain in people with osteoarthritis
A study in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an effective treatment for older patients with osteoarthritis and comorbid insomnia.
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