Sleep Apnea Death

Sleep apnea is an often hidden factor in the death of thousands of people each year. Here are some surprising findings gleaned from all over the world:

Sleep apnea causes 1400 fatalities in America each year.

Sleep apnea sufferers have a 30% higher risk of heart attack or premature death than those unaffected.

People with coronary artery disease whose blood oxygen is lowered by sleep disordered breathing may be at risk of ventricular arrhythmias and nocturnal sudden death. CPAP treatment may reduce this risk.

Sleep disordered breathing, including apnea, may cause coronary artery disease and hypertension.

In obstructive sleep apnea, often marked by snoring, the right side of the heart may suffer damage because it has to pump harder to support the extra effort of the lungs trying to overcome the obstruction of the airway.

Having sleep apnea for four or five years raises a person’s risk of having a heart attack or dying by 30%.

Severe sleep apnea raises the risk of dying early by 46%.

Research links sleep apnea to heart arrhythmias that can cause sudden death from cardiac arrest. The sleep disorder can lead to ventricular arrhythmias which are more dangerous than atrial arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation and flutter.

People with moderate sleep apnea face an increased death risk, as much as 17%, compared with those who do not have sleep-disordered breathing problems.