Sleep apnea may boost serious health complications following heart surgery read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/1315-sleep-apnea-may-boost-serious-health-complications-following-heart-surgery

Sleep apnea may boost the odds of developing two serious health complications following surgery. Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by repeated breathing disruptions during sleep. Symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness, restless sleep and loud snoring often with periods of silence followed by gasps.

Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said, with the new research the relationship between diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea and post-operative complications is well-documented.

Sleep apnea appears to expose the heart to mechanical stress, while leading to vascular inflammation and an increased risk for blood clots.

These physiologic changes could place patients undergoing open-heart surgery at higher risk for complications.

One study looked at more than 200 patients having open-heart bypass surgery between 2013 and 2015 to see those at high risk of sleep apnea met three of these criteria being older than 65, snorers, very obese, or having high blood pressure.

Almost 20% were considered at high risk to sleep apnea. Two-thirds were at low risk, and nearly 15% had already been diagnosed with the sleep disorder.

Researchers found that undiagnosed sleep apnea patients do have more chances of developing atrial fibrillation compared to a person who already has sleep apnea, or a person who has a low risk of developing sleep apnea.

The most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). CPAP requires wearing a face or nose mask during sleep. The mask is connected to a pump that provides continual airflow to keep the airways open.

The second study found greater risk for other post-surgical complications looked at the post-surgery risk for developing breathing complications, heart problems and medical issues that require hospitalization in an intensive care unit.

Researchers found, those undiagnosed but deemed at high risk of sleep apnea faced significantly greater odds for developing venous thromboembolism, a potentially life-threatening blood clot in the vein.