Study: Treating Sleep Disorder May Thwart Heart Disease
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5 (HealthDay News) -- People with obstructive
sleep apnea have the same early cardiovascular damage as people
with diabetes, a small new study finds. Obstructive sleep apnea
-- a common disorder marked by disrupted breathing during sleep
-- increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart rhythm
disorders, heart attack, stroke, sudden cardiac death and heart
failure. "There are not enough studies in the medical literature
on early cardiovascular dysfunction in patients with
[obstructive sleep apnea], when active steps can be taken to
prevent progression to heart failure," study author Dr. Raluca
Mincu of Bucharest, Romania, said in a European Society of
Cardiology news release. Because obstructive sleep apnea leads
to many cardiovascular disorders, the researchers compared early
cardiovascular dysfunction in sleep apnea patients and patients
with diabetes, which is a typical risk factor for cardiovascular
disease, Mincu added. The study i