Sleep apnea and high blood pressure
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes numerous lapses in breathing during sleep. One of the two types of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), affects 30 to 40% of people with hypertension, and is marked by episodes of airway collapse, which blocks airflow into the lungs and often causes snoring and gasping during sleep.
Sleep apnea increases a cardiovascular risk, because the difficulties of breathing during the night cause one’s heart to work harder. Unlike in healthy individuals, whose blood pressure naturally lowers during the night by 10-20%, those suffering from OSA don’t experience such a “dip” in their blood pressure while sleeping, or the dip is less than 10%.
OSA, hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance share a complex relationship in which all four factors influence and exacerbate one another so overweight individuals with diagnosed diabetes and high blood pressure are more likely to develop sleep apnea. If you worry about having sleep apnea, talk to your doctor who can test you. Diagnosis is the first step to accessing effective treatments for OSA that may improve your sleep and blood pressure. Consider whether any of the following symptoms apply to you:
1. Daytime sleepiness
2. Difficulty with attention and memory
3. Headaches in the morning
4. Dry mouth when waking up
5. Irritability, anxiety, or depression
Sleep apnea is often not recognized by the affected individual. In many cases, a bed partner notices nighttime symptoms of OSA, which prompts a visit to the doctor. If you share a bedroom or home with someone else, ask if they have noticed you exhibiting any of these signs while you are sleeping:
1. Loud snoring
2. Choking or gasping during sleep
3. Pauses in breathing during sleep
Experiencing one or more of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have sleep apnea, but it is a good reason to bring up sleep with your doctor.
Useful tip
In the last article we discussed the importance of measuring your blood pressure also at various additional times of the day, not just your routine time. Ask your doctor about measuring your BP at night for the “dip”, to diagnose or rule out sleep apnea.
Source: The American Heart Association and the Sleep Foundation
Nothing in this article should be considered medical advice. Ask your doctor if you have any questions. In a case of medical emergency call 911.