Understanding the Impact of Sleep Apnea on Heart Health
Getting a good amount of sleep each night can yield important health benefits throughout your body, including the heart. Experts recommend at least 7 hours of sleep per night for most adults as part of a healthy lifestyle. Sleep is a time when many of your body’s functions slow down. Your body takes this time to handle tissue growth and repair, as well as clear waste material from your brain.
In 2022, the American Heart Association added sleep duration to its list of key factors for maximizing heart health. One particular sleep disorder has been linked to an increased chance of heart problems: sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a breathing problem where, during sleep, your breathing is periodically interrupted, which can prevent enough oxygen from reaching your heart.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include starting and stopping breathing, heavy snoring, and gasping for air. Daytime symptoms can range from daytime sleepiness to headaches to sexual dysfunction. If you feel you have these symptoms, contact your health care provider immediately. An in-office sleep study may be needed to confirm a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
Sleep and Heart Rate
Shortly after you fall asleep, your heart rate gradually slows to its resting rate. During what is known as light sleep, your body temperature drops while your muscles relax. People are in light sleep mode for about half the night. When your body enters deep sleep, your blood pressure falls and your heart rate slows to about 25 percent below your resting heart rate.
Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure
Medical experts have found a connection between sleep apnea and heart failure. People who live with sleep apnea are often at increased risk for heart problems, such as heart failure. Because sleep apnea causes repeated stops in breathing, it can temporarily reduce the supply of oxygen to the heart and lungs. This lack of oxygen can lead to the release of stress hormones, which can affect your heart. Your blood pressure may also increase during sleep apnea, which can put even more strain on the heart.
How Is Sleep Apnea Linked to Heart Failure?
It remains unclear whether sleep apnea leads to an increased risk of heart failure or if an increased risk of heart failure is connected to having sleep apnea. Scientists believe there is a connection, but there is no way to know if one causes the other. Even if sleep apnea does not lead to heart problems, the sleeping condition is something that needs to be treated sooner rather than later.
The sooner a person with sleep apnea or a heart condition can be properly diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin. When your health care provider helps you better control your sleep apnea, it may lower your risk factors for heart conditions. Early diagnosis is vital for your sleep health and your heart’s well-being.
It is believed that about 30 million adults in America live with sleep apnea, but only about 6 million are diagnosed. Lifestyle changes and sleeping aid devices are among the treatment options for sleep apnea.
What Happens to Your Body During Sleep Apnea
During sleep apnea, a person is not able to provide enough air to their lungs. This causes oxygen levels in the blood to fall, which in turn means not enough oxygen is reaching your heart.
Drops in oxygen levels during sleep apnea can cause inflammation, which can cause damage to the heart and blood vessels. Oxygen level drops can also trigger the central nervous system into action, which can contribute to increased blood pressure. Normally, during sleep, a person’s blood pressure decreases. So, if blood pressure rises during sleep apnea, it may contribute to an increased risk of hypertension.
When most people sleep, their heart rate tends to decrease through most of the nightly sleep cycle. When sleep apnea causes changes to your heart rate, some experts speculate that this could be a contributing factor to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems for those with the sleeping condition.
Why Treating Sleep Apnea Matters
Undiagnosed sleep apnea can put your health at risk for many conditions, including those related to the heart. Sleep apnea is estimated to increase heart failure risk by 140 percent, stroke by 60 percent, and coronary heart disease risk by 30 percent, according to researchers. While treating sleep apnea cannot reverse existing heart damage, proper treatment for the sleep disorder can lower the chance of future muscle problems.
Untreated sleep apnea can potentially lead to higher blood pressure, higher heart rate, and increased inflammation. A research study found that between 1999 and 2019, sleep apnea was found to be an underlying cause of death in 17,053 people.
Whether you suspect you have sleep apnea or you are concerned about your heart health, early diagnosis is important. The experts at the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI) understand the importance of sleep health in maintaining a healthy heart. If you have concerns about your sleep patterns, be sure to ask your provider.
