Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Stroke Risk
A recent study was published in the
Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery that was done in conjunction
with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the UCLA School of Dentistry.
The study suggests that people who suffer
from obstructive sleep apnea are at
3 to 6 times the risk for experiencing a
stroke.
When a person with sleep apnea
falls asleep, the tongue falls back into
the throat, blocking the airway.
As the person struggles for breath, the
blood pressure increases. The study
suggests that this rise in blood pressure
damages the interior walls of the
carotid arteries lining the sides of the
neck. Cholesterol and calcium stick
to the injury sites and form calcified masses, which block blood flow to
the brain. The result can be a massive stroke.
To test this theory, Dr. Friedlander
and his associates took lateral
cephalometric x-rays, which
allows examination of the neck, on 47 male
patients who suffer from sleep
apnea. The researchers then compared the
x-rays to a healthy, same age
group of 891 men. In the group with sleep
apnea, 21% of the men showed calcified
masses blocking their carotid arteries.
Only 2.5% of the control group had
similar blockages.
The researchers conclusions included
that the increased stroke risk was
coming from the neck, not another
part of the body.
You may ask, what if if I think
I have sleep apnea? MetaWorks, Inc.
recently concluded in a study for
the U.S. Agency for Health Care Policy
Research (AHCPR), that the best available
choice for diagnosing sleep apnea is
the all night test. The study also
concluded that several less expensive
and less time-consuming tests appear
promising for the accurate diagnosis of
sleep apnea, but there is insignificant
evidence that any multi-channel
portable device can be used to accurately
diagnose sleep apnea at home. The best advice at this point, if you suspect
you have sleep apnea, is to consult with your
physician for accurate and reliable
diagnosis and treatment.