October 16, 2013
Maintaining A Healthy Lifestyle Requires Proper Sleep For Obstructive Sleep Apnea Sufferers
April Flowers for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online
According to three new studies reported in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, It is critical that adults with a sleep illness seek medical attention and try to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night to maintain a healthy lifestyle.The first study examined 2,240 adults to understand the link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and mortality in Asians. The study findings show that people with severe OSA had a 2.5 times higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 4 times higher risk of cardiovascular mortality. Prior studies in the US and other countries are consistent with the findings of this study.
The second study took place in Australia, with 2,673 patients included. The researchers found that untreated OSA is associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes in very sleepy men as well as near-misses in men and women. Crashes were reported by untreated OSA patients at a rate of three times higher than the general community.
Examining the relationship between sleep duration and self-rated health in Korean adults, the final study's results reveal that short sleep duration of 5 hours or less per day and long sleep duration of 9 hours or more per day was associated with poor self-rated health. These findings support recent data which emphasizes the necessity of adequate sleep for physical and mental health.
Twelve to 18 million adults in the US have untreated obstructive sleep apnea, which involves the repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). OSA, a serious sleep illness, is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression and stroke. CPAP therapy, which helps keep the airway open by providing a stream of air through a mask that is worn during sleep, is the most effective treatment for OSA at this time.
Although 30 percent of US adults regularly get less, doctors and scientists say that to feel alert and well rested, most adults should get seven to eight hours each night.