Sleep Disorders
Resources
Basic InformationMore InformationLatest News
Sleep Apnea May Boost Risk of Sudden Cardiac DeathConsistent Bedtime Helps People Stick With Sleep Apnea TreatmentSleep Duration Linked to Suicidal Thoughts in People With InsomniaATS: Adenotonsillectomy Offers Relief to Kids With Sleep ApneaSleep Apnea in Seniors Tied to Alzheimer's in StudyFDA: Lower Ambien's Dose to Prevent Drowsy DrivingObesity Crisis May Be Fueling Big Jump in Sleep Apnea CasesER Visits Tied to Ambien on the RiseCommon Sleep Disorder May Impair Drivers, Research SuggestsTreating Sleep Apnea Pays Off at Work, Study FindsSleep Apnea Tied to Behavioral, Attention Problems in YouthsIs a Better Sleeping Pill on the Way?Insomnia Might Boost Heart Failure RiskSpotting Sleep Problems in Special-Needs ChildrenSleep Deprivation May Disrupt Your GenesHealth Tip: Could You Have Sleep Apnea?Most U.S. Soldiers May Suffer From Sleep Problems'Nightcaps' Don't Help You Sleep Better After AllCombo Therapy May Help Ease Sleep Apnea at High AltitudeSleep Apnea Tied to More Brain Damage in Women Than MenStudy: Treating Sleep Disorder May Thwart Heart DiseaseExperimental Insomnia Drug Shows PromiseSpinal Fluid Substance May Help Drive Sleep Disorder: StudyDoes Sleep Apnea Offer Some Protection During Heart Attack?Treating Sleep Apnea Might Ease High Blood Pressure, TooStudy Links Insomnia to $31 Billion in U.S. Workplace ErrorsObstructive Sleep Apnea Ups Cardio Risk in the ElderlyUpdated Recommendations for Sleep Apnea in ChildrenSleep Apnea Affects Many Women, TooEnvironmental Risks ID'd for REM Sleep Behavior DisorderAssociated Professional Sleep Societies, June 5-9, 2010Sleep Disorder News Feed
Questions and AnswersLinksBook Reviews
Related Topics

Medical Disorders
Mental Disorders

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Ups Cardio Risk in the Elderly


HealthDay News
Updated: Sep 14th 2012

new article illustration

FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- In the elderly, untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death, and adequate treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may reduce this risk, according to research published online Sept. 13 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Miguel-Angel Martinez-Garcia, M.D., of La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital in Valencia, Spain, and colleagues conducted a prospective, observational study involving 939 patients 65 years of age or older with OSA to evaluate the cardiovascular risk associated with untreated OSA and to determine whether CPAP treatment modified this risk.

The researchers found that, after a median follow-up of 69 months, the adjusted hazard ratio for cardiovascular mortality was 1.38 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.73 to 2.64) for those with untreated mild-to-moderate OSA; 2.25 for those with untreated severe OSA (95 percent CI, 1.41 to 3.61); and 0.93 (95 percent CI, 0.46 to 1.89) for CPAP-treated patients. In a subgroup of patients aged 75 years and older similar results were achieved. Compliance with CPAP treatment in those who were treated was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.

"We have provided the first evidence that severe untreated OSA is associated with cardiovascular mortality in elderly people of both sexes," the authors write. "This excess of mortality seems to be the result of an increase in mortality from cerebrovascular and heart failure and CPAP treatment is associated with a decrease in the risk of mortality to levels similar to those found in patients without OSA."

Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

This article: Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.