Obstructive Sleep Apnea May Trigger Nighttime Heart Attacks

By Dr. Mason Weiss

A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, shows that people who have obstructive sleep apnea may be more likely to have a nighttime heart attack than during the day. Having obstructive sleep apnea means that there is some form of blockage in the air passageway, which causes interruptions in regular breathing like snoring, coughing, or choking during the night.

The study, which included 92 people, surveyed patients who had recently had a heart attack and conducted a sleep study about 17 days after their heart attack. The sleep study concluded that 64 of the 92 patients had obstructive sleep apnea.

Los Angeles cardiology experts suggest that if you are at risk of a heart attack and suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, it is important to seek treatment, since sleep apnea increases the risk of having a heart attack during sleep. Simple tests like a CT scan, full body scan, or the very quick and effective 64 slice scan can tell if you are at risk of heart disease.

The patients in the study all had similar backgrounds and medication, but those with obstructive sleep apnea were six times more likely to have had their heart attack between midnight and 6 a.m. On the other hand, the patients without sleep apnea were more likely to have their heart attack between 6 a.m. and noon.

Los Angeles cardiologist Dr. Mason Weiss contributed to a study that links calcium deposits, blood-sugar tests, and common daytime dozing to increased risk of heart attack and stroke. He says that there are several cases of simple factors like sleep habits, which contribute to heart health which should be studied. Researchers at Mayo Clinic like Fatima Kuniyoshi, PhD say that obstructive sleep apnea "may be a trigger" for heart attacks, which calls for further studies to see if obstructive sleep apnea treatment reduces heart attack risk, especially at night.

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About The Author
Dr. Weiss received both his undergraduate and medical degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He then completed an internship at The Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal as well as medical residencies at both St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and Toronto General Hospital. Dr. Weiss then completed a cardiology fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He has been an active member in medical societies such as American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions, American College of Chest Physicians and American College of Angiology, as well as the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. For more details visit: www.apexcardiology.com/