Obstructive Sleep Apnea Boosts Chance of Cardiac Death
Clinical research from the Mayo Clinic shows that sleep apnea increases your risk of sudden death by heart attack. While apnea has always been serious, this new research emphasizes how important it is to treat apnea.
In an overnight sleep study of more than 10,000 patients, sleep apnea was the second leading cause of sudden death. Being over the age of 60 was the first.
Sleep apnea, a relatively common condition, causes the oxygen levels in the blood to decrease. This, in turn, puts a strain on the heart while it tries to pump adequate amounts of oxygen to the brain and body.
There is evidence that low oxygen, caused by sleep apnea, alters the blood vessels in a way that promotes heart disease. Apnea is also associated with hypertension, stroke and Alzheimers.
There is a common thread. If you dont get oxygen to the blood, the whole body and brain start to shut down. But with apnea, your throat closes down, suffocating yourself and starving your body of oxygen.
So, what is the most effective form of sleep apnea treatment? Doctors almost always recommend CPAP (continuous positive air pressure). CPAP therapy not only can save your life, there are other benefits to finally get good, deep sleep. For example, CPAP therapy can reduce daytime drowsiness, depression, and weight gain associated with apnea.
All the research points to how important it is to use your CPAP therapy every night. Of course, wearing a CPAP mask connected to a CPAP machine is not easy or fun. That is why an average of only 50% of patients regularly comply with their CPAP therapy.
Luckily there are three time-proven strategies to increasing your CPAP compliance and therefore your chances of improved health and long life:
1. For best results, only use doctor recommended, quality CPAP equipment. Doctors recommend three manufacturers: ResMed, Fisher & Paykel, and Respironics. These brands are known to invest millions in R&D every year to ensure health and safety for the customer. There are risks associated with the lower quality manufacturers, in particular the ones from China. Before you waste your money or risk your life, ask your doctor about any brand other than the above three.
2. Choose wisely when selecting a CPAP supplier. There are a lot of questionable websites that don’t buy their equipment directly from the manufacturer. They resort to getting inventory from middlemen who often are unethical and sell used equipment. If you buy from anything other than an authorized dealer, then you might get refurbished equipment that just “looks” like new. So it won’t have full warranty coverage and it might not even be sanitary. (Many used machines sold by middlemen are from deceased patients in hospitals and nursing homes.) Your best bet is finding a CPAP vendor certified as a ResMed Preferred Internet Provider and recognized by the National Apnea Association.
3. Get help! A certified CPAP coach will help you with any problems that arise with your CPAP equipment. Your coach will save you time and keep you on track by helping you with using, cleaning, and maintaining your CPAP. Many studies have shown that CPAP chronic care or coaching increases patients probability of success from the national average of only 50% to over 90%. Best of all, some CPAP websites offer coaching for free to their customers.
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