Specific Health Conditions and OSA Recovery

For people with sleep apnea and for their healthcare professionals, peer coaching article #22, updated 3 December 2011

Researching the link between OSA and specific physical conditions

Since all the body’s cells, organs, and systems require oxygen, untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can cause or contribute to a wide variety of health problems, many of which can become serious and life-threatening. For more information, google the health condition that concerns you + sleep apnea, and see the links below. They were created in 2007 and checked for broken links in 2011.

PubMed search of research from the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed

Respironics clinical references links
http://www.respironics.com/IdentificationOSA.asp

A sleep diagnostic service company has a web site with a physician’s clinical online library

http://novasom.com/physicians/physician_resources_clinical_library.php

National Center for Sleep Disorders Research, National Institutes of Health, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/index.htm

Stanford University Center for Human Sleep Research, Links, http://www.med.stanford.edu/school/psychiatry/humansleep/

Discussion threads about some specific health conditions

To find more threads, use http://www.cpaptalk.com/search.php

Acid reflux/GERD and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t19816/Insomnia-May-Be-First-Signal-of-Acid-Reflux.html
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t15629/What-came-firstsilent-refluxasthmasleep-apneaor-zoloft.html
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=21252&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Alzheimers Disease and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t5396/Sleep-apnea-heart-disease-and-Alzheimers-Disease.html

Brain fog and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=22069&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Blood pressure and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t26081/want-to-share-success-story.html
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t14482/CPAP-proven-to-improve-blood-pressure.html
http://www.apneasupport.org/about1101-0-asc-0.html
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t14756/White-Coat-Hypertension-and-OSA--any-experts.html

Diabetes and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t17660/AVOIDING-DIABETES--TREATMENT-IS-WORTH-IT.html
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t22441/Diabetes.html

Erectile dysfunction, libido, and OSA.
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=12997
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t15997/Libido-vs-Therapy.html
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t23845/CPAP-tratment-and-testosterone-levels.html

Glaucoma and OSA
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256DE300523D7E?Open&id=48DDE4A73E09A969852568880078C249&count=10
and discussion thread: http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=13166

Heart and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t14624/Dont-assume-you-know-whats-wrong.html .

Insomnia, Anxiety, Trauma, PTSD, Nightmares, Sleeping Pills
http://sleeptreatment.com/ and the book Sound Sleep, Sound Mind by Barry Krakow, MD

Other changes and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t22311/Little-known-dangers-of-OSA.html
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t19754/Other-changes-in-your-body.html

Pain and sleep deprivation. Quote contributed by a cpaptalk.com forum member:
“Sleep Deprivation On June 22, 2002, at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society (San Francisco), researchers reported that sleep deprivation markedly increases inflammatory cytokines. This finding helps explain why pain flare-ups occur in a variety of disorders in response to lack of sleep. According to the researchers, even a modest lack of sleep adversely affected cytokine and hormone levels. In this carefully controlled study, two potent proinflammatory markers were affected. Sleep deprivation caused a 40-60% average increase in the inflammatory marker IL-6 in men and women, although a 20-30% increase in TNF-alpha was shown in men alone (Vgontzas et al. 1999; 2001).”

Stroke and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t18793/Stroke-prevention-study.html

Urination, nighttime (nocturia) and OSA. If you have untreated sleep apnea, the body may secrete a hormone (atrial natriuretic factor) that increases your urine output during sleep. When sleep apnea is treated, nighttime urine output is reduced, and you may get through the night without a bathroom trip. TS Johnson, Sleep Apnea, p. 181

This is a must-read article for understanding the link between nocturia and OSA: http://www.nocturiacures.com/
Discussion thread http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t16275/Can-someone-explain-why-OSA-patients-quotpeequot-more.html

Weight and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t19479/6-myths-about-sleep-disorders.html
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t24155/Weight-Loss-with-cpap.html
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t22068/Those-f-you-who-have-lost-weight-after-starting-CPAP.html

Sources: Based on personal experience with obstructive sleep apnea and gleaned from the collective wisdom of cpaptalk.com contributors.

Want more? See the peer coaching articles at http://smart-sleep-apnea.blogspot.com , http://www.cpap.com FAQ Learning Center, or search http://www.cpaptalk.com or post a message there.

Not written by healthcare professionals. The information and opinions offered are not intended or recommended as a substitute for professional medical advice.

© Mile High Sleeper, August 2006 - 2011. All rights reserved. You may make copies of this message and distribute in any media for free educational purposes, as long as you credit the author and include this copyright notice and the web address smart-sleep-apnea dot blogspot dot com