THE ESSENTIAL
- Sleep apnea results in partial or complete obstruction of the airways during sleep and the cessation of breathing several times a night.
- This condition can manifest as loud snoring, gasping, choking, and daytime sleepiness.
An increase in the risk of cancer, blood clots and a decrease in mental processing capacities… This is what leads to the lack of oxygen caused by sleep apnea, according to researchers who presented their work during the conference “Consequences and management of obstructive sleep apneaat the International Congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) in Barcelona, Spain.
Low oxygen levels
People aged 74 or over, particularly men, showed the most marked decline in certain cognitive tests and in whom the decline in processing skills was most obvious.
Speaking ahead of the congress, Dr Nicola Marchi, from Lausanne University Hospital said: “We found that OSAS and, in particular, low oxygen levels during sleep due to OSAS, were associated with greater declines in global cognitive function, processing speed, executive function, and performance. verbal memory.”
Venous thromboembolism
During the congress, the association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and the incidence of venous thromboembolism was also revealed, and this is a first. The study, presented by Professor Wojciech Trzepizur, from the University Hospital of Angers, France, showed that patients with more severe OSAS were more likely to develop venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Developing blood clots in the veins is a life-threatening condition and of the 7,355 patients followed for more than six years, 104 developed VTE.
“NWe found that people who spent more than 6% of their night time with blood oxygen levels below 90% of normal had an almost double risk of developing VTE compared to patients who did not lack oxygen“said Professor Trzepizur.
Increased risk of cancer
It is also the lack of oxygen induced by OSAS that would be at the origin of the known association between this condition and the increased risk of cancer. Until now, only obesity, cardiometabolic diseases and lifestyle were known to be risk factors for developing cancer, and this new study proves that OSAS is indeed independently associated with cancer.
To reach this conclusion, Dr. Andreas Palm, senior researcher and consultant at Uppsala University, Sweden, and his colleagues looked at data from 62,811 patients five years before OSAS treatment began in Sweden. Between July 2010 and March 2018, patients were treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which delivers positive air pressure through a mask to keep the airways open during sleep. “We found that cancer patients had slightly more severe OSAS, measured by an average apnea-hypopnea index of 32 versus 30, and an oxygen desaturation index of 28 versus 26“, did he declare.
This new data proves the need to consider untreated sleep apnea as a risk factor for cancer and to educate physicians regarding the possibility of cancer when treating patients with OSAS, say the researchers.
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