Sleep Apnea and Heart Disease Linked in Older Men
Monday, July 19th, 2010
A recent study from Boston University’s school of medicine found that obstructive sleep apnea is linked to an increased risk of heart failure and coronary heart disease in middle-aged and older men. 1,927 men and 2,495 women over 40 were monitored for the study.
“Men with obstructive sleep apnea were 58% more likely to develop new congestive heart failure over eight years of follow up compared to men without sleep apnea,” stated Daniel Gottlieb, the study’s author. He continued, “There is a lot of undiagnosed sleep apnea, and that, at least in men; it is associated with the development of coronary heart disease and heart failure. Only about 10% of sleep apnea cases are diagnosed”
