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Sleep apnea doubles risk of stroke, death - study
Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 11/09/05 | Gene Emery

Posted on 11/09/2005 11:01:10 PM PST by NormsRevenge

BOSTON (Reuters) - The common form of sleep apnea, in which the throat closes off throughout the night, at least doubles the risk of stroke or death, a study released on Wednesday showed.

The researchers at Yale University also raised questions about whether existing apnea treatments reduced that risk, the study published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed.

A separate Canadian study also published in the journal concluded that breathing machines used to treat a form of apnea common in people with heart failure do not prevent death or the need for a heart transplant.

About 4 percent of Americans suffer from extreme daytime fatigue because their sleep is disrupted by sleep apnea, forcing them to repeatedly wake up if only for a second. Another 16 percent of Americans have apnea without fatigue.

A seven-year study, led by Klar Yaggi of the Yale University School of Medicine, found that people with apnea were twice as likely to die or have a stroke. The risk more than tripled among volunteers with the worst apnea.

The study involving 1,022 people also showed that the risk persisted even with treatment to keep the throat open during sleep, mostly through a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Other study volunteers lost weight or had surgery to ease their symptoms.

REDUCING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK

The results of the study notwithstanding, the machines are still worth it for people with apnea that produces excessive fatigue, Yaggi said.

"We're really treating you to improve how you feel. Walking around exhausted is a just a horrible quality of life," he said.

"But also we now are realizing that sleep apnea is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, for high blood pressure, for heart disease, and also for stroke, and we believe and hope that treating you will help to reduce your cardiovascular risk, much like we would treat your cholesterol or your blood pressure or your diabetes."

The Canadian study evaluated 258 people with central sleep apnea, where fluid in the lungs caused by heart failure makes sleepers hyperventilate, which temporarily prevents the accumulation of enough carbon dioxide to trigger the breathing reflex. In short, people forget to breathe.

About one third of the 5 million Americans with heart failure also have central sleep apnea.

Douglas Bradley of the University of Toronto and his colleagues said they were surprised to find that heart failure patients with apnea who used CPAP machines were just as likely to die or receive a heart transplant as those who went untreated.

In fact, in the early part of the study, people breathing through CPAP machines seemed to fare worse.

Bradley told Reuters that heart failure patients are given the machines to drive water out of the lungs and reduce the work of breathing. They also may help the heart beat more effectively.

Although using the machines during the 5-1/2-year study did not help patients live longer, they did improve the efficiency of the heart and let patients exercise more.

"As long as it didn't cause any harm, those are the kinds of things we look to do when we treat patients with heart failure with other kinds of therapy," said Bradley.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: apnea; cpap; death; disorders; doubles; risk; sleep; sleepapnea; sleepdisorders; stroke; study
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Great. Another reason to not sleep and stay up all night at FR.

Not to make light of this topic.. It is a very serious condition.

1 posted on 11/09/2005 11:01:11 PM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

Does every heavy snorer have this?


2 posted on 11/09/2005 11:03:27 PM PST by Yaelle
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To: NormsRevenge

I'm still up.


3 posted on 11/09/2005 11:03:28 PM PST by A. Morgan
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To: NormsRevenge

You're telling me, I have OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) and it sucks. I don't have one of those nifty CPAPs because they're expensive and my insurance won't cover it because it's not 'medical necessity.' I don't get the extreme fatigue of some sufferers, but I need to sleep anywhere from 12-14 hours to get away from the fatigue. Unfortunately outside of college, there aren't many jobs that allow you to sleep that much and get away with it.


4 posted on 11/09/2005 11:05:42 PM PST by Nipplemancer (Abolish the DEA !)
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To: Yaelle

No. Im not sure of exact numbers but while not uncommon,, I seem to recall something like 1 in 5 or so is at risk tho.

I'll see if I can find better numbers than a shot off the hip. If not tonight, tomorrow.


5 posted on 11/09/2005 11:05:44 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Monthly Donor spoken Here. Go to ... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Yaelle

http://www.sleepapnea.org/info/index.html

as many as 12 millions in the US alone..

excerpt from bove link

Sleep apnea is very common, as common as adult diabetes, and affects more than twelve million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Yet still because of the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences.


6 posted on 11/09/2005 11:08:01 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Monthly Donor spoken Here. Go to ... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: NormsRevenge
people with apnea were twice as likely to die or have a stroke.

Actually, people without apnea are just as likely to die. In fact, that's just about 100% for everybody.

Seriesly, though, I have sleep apnea, and I use a CPAP machine. Have had one for over seven years now. It does help my breathing, it cuts out my snoring, and I'm not as tired during the day. It's not a complete fix, and it's still a bit cumbersome to use, but I'm better off with it than without it.

On that note, appropriately, I'm off to bed.

7 posted on 11/09/2005 11:10:20 PM PST by Charles Henrickson (Sleep apnea sufferer)
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To: NormsRevenge

It wakes me up once a night. I have to gasp once for breath. It's the pits.


8 posted on 11/09/2005 11:12:05 PM PST by Dallas59 (“You love life, while we love death.” - Al-Qaeda / Democratic Party)
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To: Charles Henrickson

I'm off to bed.

So am I.. actually Im already in bed with a laptop.

My wife and family are all heavy snorers, but none have apnea.. thanl goodness. she says I snore too. I tell her, prove it. ;-)

G'
Nite


9 posted on 11/09/2005 11:12:54 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Monthly Donor spoken Here. Go to ... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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Comment #10 Removed by Moderator

To: F15Eagle

all my brothers snored, my dad too, so I am sure I do.. but my cats tolerate me anyway,

PS some of my cats snore too.

G'
Nite


11 posted on 11/09/2005 11:22:11 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Monthly Donor spoken Here. Go to ... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: NormsRevenge

"at least doubles the risk of stroke or death"

So there is a better than 200% chance that I will die? I want my money back.


12 posted on 11/09/2005 11:24:11 PM PST by KarinG1 (Some of us are trying to engage in philosophical discourse. Please don't allow us to interrupt you.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Great. Another reason to not sleep and stay up all night at FR.
Not to make light of this topic.. It is a very serious condition.


I had a problem with sleep apnea until about 10 years ago because I was overweight. Radical obesity causes cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. I wonder if they took that into account, or if they intend to blame it all on poor little Mr. Apnea.
13 posted on 11/09/2005 11:42:41 PM PST by Jaysun (Democrats: We must become more effective at fooling people.)
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To: Nipplemancer
You're telling me, I have OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) and it sucks. I don't have one of those nifty CPAPs because they're expensive and my insurance won't cover it because it's not 'medical necessity.' I don't get the extreme fatigue of some sufferers, but I need to sleep anywhere from 12-14 hours to get away from the fatigue. Unfortunately outside of college, there aren't many jobs that allow you to sleep that much and get away with it.

Do you sleep on your back? If not, try that for starters.
14 posted on 11/09/2005 11:44:41 PM PST by Jaysun (Democrats: We must become more effective at fooling people.)
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To: Nipplemancer
I don't have one of those nifty CPAPs because they're expensive and my insurance won't cover it ...

Save your pennies and shop around. There's all sorts of bells and whistles which can be nice... heated, moistened air- computerized changes of pressure to adjust to your needs on the fly, etc, but something simple should help. You should have a sleep study done, as a CPAP might not help.

You can do it yourself. Rent a take home monitor which measures and records oxygen saturation and pulse rate - they call them pusle oximeters - and you should be able to rent a CPAP for a few days. You can usually get the POs for 2 nights. Do a study w/o CPAP and one with. Maybe change insurers if you can. SA certainly can be life threatening, just not as quick as a bullet to the head. I'm not an MD but have been dealing with this stuff for almost 25 years. My first CPAP was a small vacuum cleaner.

...but I need to sleep anywhere from 12-14 hours to get away from the fatigue.

Hmmm. Maybe something else is causing you to need so much sleep.
15 posted on 11/09/2005 11:58:28 PM PST by caveat emptor
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To: Nipplemancer
Unfortunately outside of college, there aren't many jobs that allow you to sleep that much and get away with it.

Work for the State of California. When they try to fire you (assuming they even try) sue under ADA.

16 posted on 11/09/2005 11:59:26 PM PST by AlaskaErik (Everyone should have a subject they are ignorant about. I choose professional corporate sports.)
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To: NormsRevenge

It is a very serious condition.

Tell me. I use a CPAP machine


17 posted on 11/10/2005 12:08:52 AM PST by SoCalPol (I BELIEVE CONGRESSMAN WELDON!)
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To: Nipplemancer
Have you had a referral to a specialist? A one night test might get your insurance company to reconsider the medical necessity…it's very hard to argue against data, and if a CPAP is medically necessary, the specialist will prescibe one, that, along with test data is your best hope to educate your insurer…you'd think they'd know this. Just don't take their first no for their final answer…get them to kick it up for 'further review'.
18 posted on 11/10/2005 12:14:06 AM PST by dgallo51 (DEMAND IMMEDIATE, OPEN INVESTIGATIONS OF U.S. COMPLICITY IN RWANDAN GENOCIDE!)
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To: Nipplemancer

My Ins. covered my CPAP. That is a med necessity
and you need to push the issue.
My pulmonary doc is the chief of sleep disorder of a
major hospital here.
Your doc needs to document this with your ins.


19 posted on 11/10/2005 12:18:18 AM PST by SoCalPol (I BELIEVE CONGRESSMAN WELDON!)
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To: Charles Henrickson
A lot depends on your headgear. I heard about the CPAP Pro while on a business trip to Dallas over a year ago, looked them up on the Internet, and didn't even bother to try and get my insurance company to cover it…I knew it would be worth just from a design standpoint, and well over a year later, I will never go back to conventional headgear. You might want to check them out. I don't work for them: I am a satisfied customer.
20 posted on 11/10/2005 12:20:38 AM PST by dgallo51 (DEMAND IMMEDIATE, OPEN INVESTIGATIONS OF U.S. COMPLICITY IN RWANDAN GENOCIDE!)
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