2023-08-26 08:52:00
Breathing disorders, loud snoring, restless sleep… Sleep apnea now affects millions of people around the world. In France, 4% of the population is affected by this syndrome, according to health insurance statistics. If we already knew that sleep apnea increased the risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or depression, “US researchers today discovered new evidence of its impact on the heart”, tells us The Guardian.
According to a series of studies conducted by scientists at Stanford University, sleep apnea would indeed considerably increase the risk of atrial fibrillation – which can cause an irregular heartbeat – and stroke ( stroke).
To reach these conclusions, the researchers followed more than a million patients aged 20 to 50 over nearly ten years. They discovered that people with sleep apnea were “five times more likely to develop atrial fibrillation and 60% more likely to have a stroke later in life”explains in the columns of the British media Sanjiv Narayan, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford.
“Sleep apnea is very common, but we kind of ignore it because we think it’s insignificant or just a small annoyance. Until now, no one had really demonstrated the magnitude of the risk. That’s what really surprised us.”says the researcher.
Two theories
Sleep apnea occurs when the airways become too narrow when a person is sleeping. This prevents him from breathing properly. The causes of this syndrome are not yet fully known, but “they have been linked to factors such as obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption and sleeping on your back”souligne The Guardian.
“When you are unable to breathe, the pressure in the lungs increases until you wake up gasping for air. It also puts pressure on the heart, causing the heart chambers to stretch and might cause atrial fibrillation.”soutinet Sanjiv Narayan. “Another theory might be that blood oxygen levels drop for tens of seconds, which might stress the heart”he explains.
Finally, while some people need a specific device to treat their sleep apnea, the researchers point out that, in some cases, the symptoms can be alleviated by modifying our lifestyle, “for example by losing weight, quitting smoking and reducing alcohol consumption.”
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