CPAP for Sleep Apnea May Treat Heart Conditions
New research published on the American Heart Association’s website revealed that the treatment of sleep apnea with CPAP devices may be able to improve cardiovascular function as well as prevent cardiac damage.
Sleep apnea patients who suffer from sleep-disordered breathing are prescribed CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) to keep their airways open at night. A British research team from the University of Birmingham performed echocardiogram exams to patients diagnosed with sleep apnea. The team examined heart structure and function of the sleep apnea patients before and after they used CPAP machines. The results of the echocardiogram tests were compared with those of a control group without any major health issues and another group with sleep apnea and high blood pressure.
Head author of the study, Gregory Lip, said that although sleep apnea sufferers did not display major heart-related symptoms, the structure and function of their hearts showed significant changes comparable to those observed in the group of sleep apnea patients with high blood pressure.
The initial sleep apnea group was then asked to use CPAP for six months. Echocardiogram exams administered after six months of CPAP therapy showed a reversal of previously-noted heart damage. It turned out that CPAP treatment resulted in reducing thickened cardiac muscle and overall betterment of heart function. Patients’ cardiac chambers became less stiff, which may reduce the risk of stroke, cardiac disease, and heart attack. Researchers are working on larger-scale clinical trials to prove this claim.
Patients who are diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea should try CPAP therapy as a first line of treatment for their sleep disorder. Even if there are no signs of cardiac problems that need to be fixed, CPAP is the gold standard of treatment for sleep apnea. If you’d like to undergo an overnight polysomnography to diagnose sleep apnea and to get fitted with a CPAP machine and CPAP mask, please contact local sleep doctors in your area that can help set up an appointment.
About CPAP Therapy
The CPAP machine provides sleep apnea patients with a continuous flow of pressurized air though a mechanized tube. You wear a custom-fitted CPAP mask, which often features adjustable knobs that control volume and air pressure. The constant flow of air will allow the upper respiratory system to stay open throughout the night so that sleep-disordered breathing will not interrupt quality sleep.
Usage of CPAP therapy is recommended by sleep doctors for patients who need to:
- Improve sleep quality
- Add energy during waking hours
- Regulate mood swings
- Perform better at work
- Improve sex drive and performance
- Improve daytime alertness
Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can result in increased blood pressure, which increases the chance of heart attack and stroke. Restful sleep is essential in both children and adults in order to maintain a high quality of life. Sleep specialists at a sleep center can determine how much pressure is needed to treat sleep disordered breathing. How much pressure is going to be applied will be determined by the sleep study that should be made before using the CPAP. There are CPAP masks made for adults and children.
