There's nothing better than a good night's sleep--but a bad one could be killing you. A new study finds that patients who suffer from sleep apnea, especially men, suffer from an increased risk of stroke.
Researchers used data from the Sleep Heart Health Study, which involved 5,422 patients aged 40 and older from nine medical centers, to find that men with even mild obstructive sleep apnea have a higher risk of stroke.
And the worse the apnea, the higher the risk: Men with moderate to severe apnea have triple the risk of stroke.
Women, on the other hand, can sleep--and breathe--a little easier. The increased stroke risk only hits women who suffer from severe sleep apnea, according to the study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of the condition, and involves a block in the airway during sleep.
If you want to see something really scary, go to YouTube and type in "sleep apnea." You can see actual videos of sleeping people as they stop breathing.
The only thing more frightening than watching these videos is realizing that it could be happening to you. Because it could--and you might not even know it.
Up to 18 million Americans are believed to suffer from sleep apnea, and up to 90 percent of them don't know it. In addition to an increased risk of stroke, apnea has been linked to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and an increased risk of death by any number of causes.
It can also make you pretty grouchy and irritable: Apnea leads to daytime sleepiness and headaches, among other more immediate problems.
Taking care of that apnea isn't the only way to drop your stroke risk--another new study finds that walking can help, at least when it comes to women.
Researchers examined data on 39,000 female health workers aged 45 or older who participated in the Women's Health Study, and found that those who walked briskly had a 37 percent lower risk of stroke than those who didn't do much walking.
And women who said they walked for two hours each week--didn't matter if it was briskly or at a snail's pace--had a 30 percent lower risk, according to the study published in Stroke.
The study didn't look at men, but we know that physical activity in general can lower the risk of stroke in men and women alike.
Walking is just one way to keep active--but it's a pretty good one, since all you need to lower that stroke risk is something you should have already: a comfortable pair of shoes.
Finally, if you've had a stroke--even a small one--seek help immediately.
Obvious, right?
Maybe not--because another new study in the same journal finds that most people don't realize when they've had one.
British researchers say 68 percent of patients who've suffered a transient ischemic attack, also known as a "mini stroke," didn't realize it. Same goes for 69 percent of minor stroke patients.
And since they didn't realize the serious nature of what was happening, many didn't seek help. Just 47 percent of the TIA patients and 46 percent of those with the minor strokes sought help during the crucial first three hours.
Many of the others did ultimately seek help--but only much later, and 77 percent went to their own doctors instead of the emergency room, according to the study.
These patients had the symptoms, they just didn't recognize what was happening. Make sure you recognize the warning signs: numbness or weakness (especially in one side of the body), confusion, vision problems, difficulty speaking, dizziness, trouble walking and sudden headache.
Start experiencing any of those symptoms, especially if you've never had them before, and get yourself to an emergency room, stat.
Your life is on the line.
On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls
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