The purpose of this paper is to examine research on the involvement of the heart and its processes in relation to sleep apnea. The reviewed material begins with a definition of sleep apnea and discusses the stages and prevalence of the disease along with cardiac complications associated with the different types of the disease. This is followed by a discussion of respiratory and hemodynamic changes associated with sleep apnea. The final section discusses methods and treatments for sleep apnea and the effects of these on cardiac effects.
Sleep Apnea: Definition, Types and Prevalence
According to Dealberto, Ferber and Garma (1994) sleep apnea may be defined as the temporary but complete closure of the throat during sleep which causes breathing to stop. Often a gasping or snorting sound is made when breathing resumes. In general, the authors report that symptoms include: loud snoring, fatigue, excessive daytime tiredness, morning headaches, and morning headaches. Diagnosis commonly requires overnight studies at a certified sleep facility.
The American Sleep Apnea Association (1999) reports that the disease is very common, affecting over 12 million Americans. If left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high-blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency and headaches.
Sleep apnea can be classified as obstructive, central, or mixed, depending on the presence or absence of respiratory muscle effort (Imran & Khawaja, 1998). According to Imran and Khawaja (1998), with each type of apnea, airflow at the nose or the mouth is absent for at least 10 seconds. The authors also note that in obstructive apnea, ribcage and abdominal movements are still present while in central apnea, both types of movement are absent. In mixed apneas, both central and obstructive patterns occur during the same apneic event. The magnitude of any associated decrease in oxygen saturation depends on the degree and duration of...