The Senior Voice • June 2009 • 7
Sleep Apnea Can Be Risky
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bout 18 million Americans have sleep apnea, and they are more likely to have a stroke and die in their sleep than other people, according to a report in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Sleep apnea can decrease blood flow and increase blood pressure to the point that the brain cannot modulate the changes, and the problem carries over into the daytime. People with sleep apnea are three times more likely to have strokes or die than others, said researchers. When sleep apnea occurs, the upper airway becomes blocked, and the person stops breathing for several seconds. This causes the blood pressure to rise and blood oxygen levels to drop. Symptoms include loud snoring, snorting, and feeling tired during the day even after getting many hours of sleep. Treatment with an airway pressurization mask worn at night relieves the condition for many people. The mask simply pushes air into the lungs and keeps breathing passages open. However some people find the mask too uncomfortable or say it causes eye and nose irritation. For them, two other treatments are available: A surgical procedure called TAP (transpalatal advancement pharyngoplasty) that removes tissue behind the palate to widen the breathing space; and a device called MAD (mandibular advancement device) that pushes the lower jar forward to prevent airway blockage. Both treatments are reasonably successful, according to studies reported in the Archives of Otolaryngology. The improvement rate for the MAD treatment was 75 percent for people with severe apnea and 82 percent for those with mild apnea. Researchers said MAD is “simple, non-invasive, and easy to use.” The improvement rate for the TAP was 60 percent; 35 percent of apnea sufferers using TAP experienced a complete cure, said researchers. One method used to determine improvement is called AHI (apnea hypopnea index), which measures how many times a person with apnea stops breathing completely or partially during the night. ■