Sleep apnea
May be linked with an increased risk of stroke in middle-aged and older adults, especially men, a new study suggests.
Researchers from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS)based their conclusion on analysis of 5,422 participants for an average of about nine years.
During the study, 193 participants had a stroke – 85 men (of 2, 462 men enrolled) and 108 women (out of 2,960 enrolled).
After adjusting for several cardiovascular risk factors, the researchers found that the effect of sleep apnea on stroke risk was stronger in men than in women.
In men, a progressive increase in stroke risk was observed as sleep apnea severity increased from mild levels to moderate to severe levels.
In women, however, the increased risk of stroke was significant only with severe levels of sleep apnea.
The researchers suggest that the differences between men and women might be because men are more likely to develop sleep apnea at younger ages. Therefore, they tend to have untreated sleep apnea for longer periods of time than women.
Overall, sleep apnea more than doubles the risk of stroke in men.
“It’s possible that the stroke risk is related to cumulative effects of sleep apnea adversely influencing health over many years,” said lead author Susan Redline, professor of medicine, pediatrics,and epidemiology and biostatistics, at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
“Our findings provide compelling evidence that obstructive sleep apnea is a risk factor for stroke, especially in men,” noted Redline.
“Overall, the increased risk of stroke in men with sleep apnea is comparable to adding 10 years to a man’s age. Importantly, we found that increased stroke risk in men occurs even with relatively mild levels of sleep apnea.”
Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder in which the upper airway is intermittently narrowed or blocked, disrupting sleep and breathing during sleep.
The landmark study, supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, was published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical
Category: VOICE to HEALTH
