The American Urological Association released research this weekend linking sleep apnea to two different urological disorders: incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
The incontinence study, performed by researchers at the New England Research Institutes, followed 4145 adults--1620 men and 2535 women--for five years. They looked at the incidence of urological conditions and found that restless sleep among men and women was strongly associated with the incidence of urinary tract symptoms. Short sleep duration was also associated for men but not for women.
The other study was conducted by researchers at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City, and looked more specifically at the link between obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction. The study looked at men who were being treated for erectile dysfunction. Nearly two-thirds of the men had obstructive sleep apnea, causing researchers to conclude that a man with erectile dysfunction is twice as likely to be a sleep apnea sufferer than the general population.
These studies give additional support to the dangers of sleep apnea, but do not give us insight into new conditions associated with sleep apnea. In the future, it is hoped that further studies will reveal the relationship between successful sleep apnea treatment and alleviating many of these conditions.
To learn more about sleep apnea treatment that is both comfortable and effective, please contact a local sleep dentist today.