Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentistry

Cut Your Heart Attack Risk by Treating Sleep Apnea

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Cut Your Heart Attack Risk by Treating Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a dangerous condition that affects us in many adverse ways. The affect that OSA has on the human cardiovascular system has been well documented. In diabetics, if left untreated OSA can wreak havoc on sugar levels. The level of daytime sleepiness caused by OSA has been shown to be the cause of many motor vehicle accidents. Yet OSA is one the most undiagnosed conditions in North America.

The urgent need to diagnose and treat this potentially fatal condition is found in research conducted at Yale University. The researchers noted in their investigation that OSA more than doubled the risk of stroke or heart attack in patients over 50 years old!

Importantly, they discussed that OSA is a “modifiable risk factor” - meaning that if OSA is treated the risk of stroke or heart attack can be greatly diminished. Proof of this was shown by Minoguchi et al in his article in the American Journal Respiratory Critical Care Medicine. Patients who suffer with OSA have “markers” in their brains which indicate inflammation and damage to the brain. In the study, the OSA patients who used their CPAP for three months significantly lowered the level of those inflammatory “markers”.

Treatment of OSA whether with CPAP, oral appliance or life style changes works! If you believe you may be suffering with Obstructive Sleep Apnea please call us at 561-394-9000. We will arrange an appointment to help you determine if you are living with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Let us help you get back on the path to a healthier nights sleep.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.