Sleep Apnea Linked To Night Time Heart Attacks

Ran across this article that talks about Sleep Apnea and the risk of night time heart attacks. I found it interesting in that it suggests there is no clinical acceptance of Sleep Apnea being to blame for night time sudden death, but I can tell you, I don’t find it surprising at all.

Their studies have looked at the most common form, obstructive sleep apnea, in which the tube carrying air to the lungs, collapses periodically, blocking the flow. “About 10 years ago, we showed that obstructive sleep apnea has a powerful effect on the sympathetic nervous system, causing an acute increase in adrenaline flow, high blood pressure and lack of oxygen,” Somers said.

That study was followed by another showing that sudden death at night is more common for people with sleep apnea. An obvious cause of sudden death is a heart attack, so in this latest study, Somers and his colleagues studied the breathing patterns of 92 people admitted to the hospital after heart attacks.

“For those who had heart attacks at night, the vast majority had undiagnosed sleep apnea,” Somers said. “So, perhaps sleep apnea is acting as a trigger for night-time heart attacks.”

Full article via HealthDay