Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Heart Failure Patients With Sleep Apnea Face Higher Risk of Death

By itself, heart failure is an extremely serious health event. However, when taken in tandem with a sleep apnea diagnosis, the need to make positive changes becomes impossible to ignore.

A recent study found that more than 75% of patients hospitalized for heart failure are also diagnosed with sleep apnea. The presence of sleep-disordered breathing in someone who suffered heart failure was also discovered to be a strong indicator of hospital readmission and even a predictor of death within three years of the cardiac event.

The potential signs of heart failure include:

·         Breathlessness
·         Fatigue
·         Arrhythmia
·         Swelling in the lower limbs
·         Nausea and loss of appetite
·         Cough accompanied by white or pink mucous
·         Disorientation
·         Heart palpitations

Patients who are hospitalized for heart failure should undergo a screening for sleep apnea. Within six months to one year, the survival rate among patients who undergo appropriate sleep apnea treatment is roughly equivalent to the recovery rate of a patient who suffers heart failure and does not have a sleep disorder.

Living a heart-healthy lifestyle is critical to prevent loss of function and failure of the organ. Smart choices like losing weight, getting exercise, and not smoking can also diminish the impact of sleep apnea by reducing the likelihood of the airway becoming constricted.

If you believe your health is at risk due to sleep apnea, please call a local sleep specialist at 1 (866) 727-6275 (1-8-NO-PAP-MASK) today. 

http://www.ihateheadaches.org/