Sleep Apnea Stroke

Can you get a stroke from sleep apnea?

The largest trial examining the relationship demonstrated that those patients with an AHI greater than 11 events/hour were more likely to have reported a history of stroke compared with those with an AHI less than 2 events/hour.

More recently, an observational cohort study that excluded subjects with prior history of stroke or myocardial infarction, reported that OSA patients had a statistically significant increased risk for stroke or death.

What is stroke? Why is it associated with sleep apnea?

Stroke is a sudden loss of consciousness and voluntary movement caused by a disruption of blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

Every sleep gives your heart a rest, where your heart rate and blood pressure slows down as you enter in deep sleep. But if you don't get enough sleep, this slow beatings of your heart may not occur.

When you have a bad sleep, your body will release stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, who may increase the risk of stroke and heart disease.

When I speak about sleep apnea and stroke, I am not referring only to lack of sleep. Snoring is another problem in sleep apnea that also increases the risk of developing stroke and heart failure.

Sleep apnea stroke occur frequently in the morning, between 6.00 - 7.00 AM, in the process of awakening.

The therapy for stroke with sleep apnea is CPAP , which reduces daytime drowsiness and improves you night sleep.

You should take a sleep test and a physical examination, if you had an unrefreshing sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness and stroke. Intermittent snoring with loud snorts, breath holding and body movements are features that can't be observed by yourself.

Some more interesting pages for you to check out:

• Sleep apnea pillow

• Turbinate reduction for patients with obstructive apnea

• Sleep apnea death - very rare, but possible

Return from Sleep Apnea Stroke to Side Effects page

Back to Home Page