Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and heart disease

Current evidence shows a direct link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and high blood pressure, a known risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, heart failure and stroke. People with OSA experience a drop in oxygen level during pauses in breathing and an increase in heart rate and blood pressure each time they wake up (even briefly) during the night. These nightly increases in blood pressure eventually lead to permanent increases in blood pressure.

Many people who have difficult cases of hypertension are later found to have untreated OSA. If you have high blood pressure that is not well controlled with medication, consider a sleep study to determine if you have OSA.

At St. John’s, protocols are already in place to screen patients for sleep apnea. A Sleep Disorders Team, made up of staff from Prairie Heart Institute and the Sleep Center, automatically evaluates all congestive heart failure patients for sleep apnea. The Sleep Disorders Team also identifies hospitalized patients at high risk for OSA and facilitates timely outpatient testing and follow-up, including education.

St. John’s Sleep Center conducts studies on Sunday through Friday nights. For more information, call (217) 757-6ZZZ (6999).

St. John's Sleep Disorders Team