Sleep Apnea

Causes & Prevention

Heart Failure, Sleep Apnea, Low Blood Pressure: A Deadly Combination

Heart Failure is defined as a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood throughout the body. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. It means that your heart is not able to pump blood the way it should.

The weakening of the heart's pumping ability causes

• Blood and fluid to back up into the lungs

• The buildup of fluid in the feet, ankles and legs - called edema

Types and Causes of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a period of reduced or no breathing. This period must be 10 seconds or more for the period to be defined as apnea. Hypopnea is defined by a reduction in the normal airflow. Oxygen is usually reduced by 4% or more for either apnea or hypopnea. Therefore, there are health implications, due to the significant decrease in oxygen with both apnea and hypopnea. The formal diagnosis of sleep apnea is when there are 15 or more periods in an hour. NOTE: In some patients who are already at high risk of health consequences, this number may be lowered.

What is Sleep Apnea and what causes it?

Obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and complex complex sleep apnea are defined in detail, and yes, men do snore (one of the possible signs of sleep apnea) more than women.

What Does It Mean When Medical Experts Say "Race" Is A Risk Factor For Certain Diseases?

Editor's Note:

"Race" is sometimes mentioned as a risk factor in the development of certain cancers and a number of other diseases. When you read this in a discussion about an illness, note that the explanation seldom refers to anything biological. Instead, it usually refers to behavior, such as eating habits. The kinds of behavior usually mentioned as risk factors are culturally determined. They are not genetic or biological.

An Increased Risk of Disease is linked to Obesity

According to the Center for Disease Control, 30% of US adults over the age of 20 are obese and 16% of young people between the ages of 6 and 19 are also obese. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including the following:

Sleep apnea and cardiac arrhythmia

Sleep Apnea Increases Cardiac Arrhythmia Risk

By Will Boggs. MD