OSA: The Sleep Disorder that’s Deadly for Your HeartIf you’re a loud snorer who doesn’t feel rested enough during the day, you may be unwittingly putting your heart at risk. That’s because you could have untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a disorder directly linked to several cardiovascular syndromes that cause premature death. OSA, in which the upper airway becomes blocked repeatedly during sleep, is a condition that affects 24% of men and 8% of women.
Over the past 10 years, several studies have linked OSA to high blood pressure. Patients who require three or more medications to control hypertension have an 80% chance of having OSA. Also, compared to the general population the prevalence of OSA is significantly higher among patients with chronic heart failure (50% higher), a trial fibrillation (50% higher) and coronary artery disease (40% higher). For patients with these heart conditions, a sleep study is crucial; if their OSA goes undiagnosed and untreated, they will have a doubled risk for death during the next 5 years.
Given OSA’s direct connection to the heart, it’s important for all patients that it be treated as soon as possible. However, it’s estimated that between 80% and 90% of people with OSA have not yet been diagnosed. Individuals who have one or more of these symptoms should talk with their doctors about a sleep study:
•Cessation of breathing during sleep, and then waking up with a gasp (most often observed by another)•Loud, irregular snoring•Restless sleep with frequent (and possibly unnoticed) awakening•Morning headache, dry mouth and/or sore throat•Daytime sleepiness•Irritability and/or impaired concentration•High blood pressure
If you need an expert to comment on the connection between OSA and heart health, LifeBridge Health’s expert physicians in sleep medicine are available for media interviews.
The Heart Disease – Diabetes ConnectionLiving with diabetes can be challenging by itself. However, if people with type 2 diabetes don’t manage their conditions, they could develop heart disease.
In fact, the numbers are frightening. Heart disease and strokes are the number one killers of people with type 2 diabetes. Both are responsible for the about 65 percent of the deaths of people with diabetes. That’s why it’s so important to understand the connection and to learn to use prevention methods.
Cardiologists and endocrinologists from Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and Northwest Hospital in Randallstown, Maryland say the link makes sense.
Diabetes happens when there is a breakdown in the way our bodies turn food into fat and energy. Most of the food we ingest is turned into glucose, also called blood sugar. Glucose is the primary fuel for our bodies. However, over time, if our blood glucose is too high, it can harm our blood vessels and nerves. That’s because both are an important part of our cardiovascular systems.
However, the news is not doom and gloom. Each person has the power to control many factors associated with both diabetes and heart disease through education and determination.
It’s no surprise that eating healthy is a major factor in delaying or preventing these two health challenges. However, just as important is setting nutritional goals that each person is able to reach and then keep. It’s not question of going on a diet or cutting out certain foods if that will end in failure. The changes need to be a lifestyle change. The key is to work with a dietician and other heart and diabetes experts to put together a personal plan that gives each individual the best chance of succeeding.
It’s also not shocking that exercise is another crucial component in the fight against both heart disease and diabetes. Again, what’s significant here is creating a routine that can be followed. Choosing an effective workout that keeps a person motivated is necessary to make sure a person incorporates it into daily life. There are as many ways to become, and stay, active as there are hobbies that people enjoy.
Taking prescribed medication, not smoking and support from family members can also make all of the difference for people with heart disease and diabetes.
When It Comes to Cardiac Rehab, More Is MoreFor people who have had a heart attack or certain other heart condition, participating in an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program can be key to ensuring that they don’t have another heart event.
A new study published in the 5/12 January 2010 issue of Circulation demonstrates that the more sessions of cardiac rehabilitation a heart patient participated in, the more his or her risk for heart attack and sudden death was reduced. For example, people who attended 36 sessions of cardiac rehab had over the next four years:
•an 18 percent lower risk of death compared to those who attended 24 sessions•a 29 percent lower risk of death than those who attended just 12 sessions, and •a 58 percent lower risk of death than those who attended only 1 session.
Cardiac rehab gives patients a customized exercise plan and lifestyle modification coaching to help get their hearts into shape. Unfortunately, only 18 percent of cardiac rehab patients complete all 36 sessions, the number reimbursed by Medicare.
If you need an expert to comment on the latest cardiac rehabilitation findings published in Circulation, the cardiologist and medical director for LifeBridge Health’s cardiac rehabilitation program is available for media interviews. To arrange an interview contact: Holly Hosler, 410-601-8678, [email protected]
Lifebridge Health Employees Will “Go Red” to Fight Heart Disease You’re enjoying a sunny day, playing with your kids. Suddenly, you’re short of breath, you have back pain and you’re sick to your stomach.
What’s happening? According to the Heart Center at Sinai, you could be having a heart attack. Surprisingly, especially with women, intense chest pain is not always an indicator of an attack.
In an effort to help raise awareness and educate women about this danger, LifeBridge Health is joining with the American Heart Association and millions of people around the country for national Go Red Day.
Employees at Sinai Hospital, Northwest Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center are being encouraged to dress in red on February 5, 2010. The effort is intended to start discussions about what heart disease is, what the symptoms are and how it can be prevented.
The employee activities committee at each LifeBridge Health center is spearheading the efforts. In addition later in the month, Sinai Hospital will donate proceeds from a candy sale from its Employee Appreciation Day to the Go Red campaign. The reasoning… women should be conscious about their hearts all year, not just for one day.
Cardiovascular disease is often thought of as a "man's disease." However, it is the number one killer of women, more than all cancers together.
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, but most start slowly, with mild pain or pressure that can disappear and return. The other warning signs can include chest pain; discomfort in the arm, back, neck or jaw; shortness of breath; and nausea. Trouble breathing may happen with or without chest discomfort. If you or someone you are with has chest discomfort, especially with any of the other symptoms, call 9-1-1 for help.
LifeBridge Health is one of the largest and most comprehensive providers of health services in northwest Baltimore.
For more information, contact: Helene King 410-601-2296 [email protected]
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