Obstructive Sleep Apnea & Cardiovascular Disease
Obstructive sleep apnea is a type of sleep apnea that is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep. This is serious especially when the person has cardiovascular disease. The health risk of these two are increased if you are; smoking, drinking alcohol, have obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension.
Individuals with severe sleep apnea are at increased risk for coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke so the treatment of sleep apnea may also resolve cardiovascular disease.
How to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Hypoglossus Nerve Stimulation - is an implanted medical device that works to reduce the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea by electrically stimulating the hypoglossal nerve to the tongue. This stimulation activates the muscles of the tongue, increasing the tone and moving it forward, away from the back of the airway.
Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP) - mode of breathing support only applies positive pressure when you are exhaling. This is thought to work due to a belief that airway collapse and resulting sleep apnea are most likely to occur when you are breathing out.
Oral Pressure Therapy - This uses negative pressure in the mouth to shift the soft palate and tongue forward. The negative pressure is created by a bedside console connected by a small tube to a mouthpiece worn inside the mouth during sleep.
Surgery - This is for the severe cases of sleep apnea that needs a part of the muscle removed to give way to the normal passage of air. Whether surgery is a good choice depends on the anatomy of each person’s upper airway and the type of surgery performed.
Behavioral Treatments - Losing weight is known to improve OSA, as is limiting the consumption of alcohol and sedatives. If you only experience OSA when sleeping on your back, there are positioners that will help maintain a side sleeping position, to improve your breathing and promote continuous, healthy sleep.
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Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy - Accumulating evidence also suggests that successful treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can improve cardiovascular outcomes. This therapy is the most common form of treatment for moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea. To use the CPAP system, the patient wears a nasal or full-face mask that delivers pressurized air to the upper airway, preventing the airway from collapsing during sleep. There are variations in how and at what level the pressure is delivered, including continuous, bilevel, and auto titrated systems.
The linkage between obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease is corroborated by evidence that treatment of sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure reduces systolic blood pressure, improves left ventricular systolic function, and diminishes platelet activation. If you are currently using CPAP you must have a sanitizer and cleaner for the device as regular cleaning is recommended here is where you can get that and as well as parts: VastMedic.
Resources:
https://www.uptodate.com
https://www.sleephealth.org/
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/
www.vastmedic.com
