A new study has recently revealed that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in adults, even those who are below the age of 40. OSA is a sleep disorder where the airway gets blocked during sleep. It causes breathing problems and low oxygen levels. Obesity is the main risk factor for this disorder.Â
In this study, researchers used the data of 9887 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. These adults were above 20 years. They were asked about their health and eating habits in that survey.
When researchers observed the collected data, they found that those who had symptoms of OSA such as feeling tired during the day and snoring were more likely to have heart problems like heart attack and angina. They also had other risk factors that made them more likely to have heart problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or a combination of these three or more of these conditions. Researchers found that 51% of the participants had OSA. 66% of them had high cholesterol, 36.2% had hypertension, 24% had diabetes. On the other hand, 8.6% of them had were diagnosed with heart diseases.Â
The link between probable OSA and increased cardiovascular disease prevalence is stronger among individuals aged 20-40. Those with OSA had a 1.45 times higher risk of hypertension as compared to those without OSA. Young adults with OSA were found to be three times more likely to experience a cardiovascular event as compared to those without this condition.Â
Obesity is its risk factor and increases the number of young adults with OSA. It needs more attention and proper treatment as it increases the risk of many health complications.Â
The results of this study clearly show that sleep apnea can increase the risk of many cardiovascular diseases. Hence healthcare professionals should suggest some effective treatments to those who have symptoms of this disorder. They should also make some strategies to reduce the risk of this disorder. Â
