A new study shows that the effects of a stroke may be more
severe in people who have obstructive sleep apnea. The study
involved 174 people who had a stroke. Their risk for sleep apnea
was assessed by questionnaire. Results show that 60 percent had
a high risk for sleep apnea. Seven participants had already been
diagnosed with sleep apnea. Having a high risk for sleep apnea
was a predictor for having a worse stroke outcome. People at
risk for sleep apnea also were more disabled at the point of
discharge from the hospital. The seven people with confirmed
sleep apnea had a higher risk of death in the first month after
the stroke. "In the context of recovering from a stroke, sleep
apnea can have a serious impact,” study author Dr. Latha Stead
said in a University of Rochester Medical Center statement. A
stroke is a “brain attack” that occurs when blood flow to the
brain is interrupted. It can result from either a blood clot
that blocks an artery or from a broken blood vessel. A recent
study found that people wit