High cholesterol and sleep disorders
Dr. Donald Johnson | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 7 months AGO
You must sleep to maintain your overall health. Your quality of sleep has everything to do with your energy level and ability to do the things you have to do each day. If your quality of sleep is poor, you might have a sleep disorder. This may actually be caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and can be very harmful to your health. About 20 million Americans have OSA, and 90 percent are not even diagnosed, according to the National Sleep Foundation. And the amazing thing about OSA is that it is able to be treated.
This condition is very often accompanied with loud snoring, daytime tiredness and fatigue, morning headaches, acid reflux (GERD), high blood pressure, and heart disease. Several studies show a relationship between OSA and cholesterol levels.
One study in Germany of over 400 patients with OSA showed lower HDL and higher triglyceride levels. Another study in Germany of 86 patients showed HDL levels rose after the OSA was treated. A study in Greece showed that HDL levels increased and overall cholesterol levels decreased after the OSA was treated. Another study of 6000 patients showed higher LDL cholesterol and triglycerides for those with OSA than for those without OSA.
A combination of OSA, high cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, and high triglycerides puts one at a very high risk for a heart attack or a stroke. HDL (high-density lipoproteins, the good cholesterol), removes LDL (low-density lipoproteins, the bad cholesterol) from the arteries. Higher LDL cholesterol increases the risk of atherosclerosis, which is a buildup of plaque in arteries. And this is why there is an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
If you know someone who suffers from high cholesterol and has any of the symptoms associated with OSA, it is important that they contact their physician to possibly be tested for OSA. Diagnosing OSA can only be done with an overnight sleep study, either in their home or in a sleep lab. It can never be diagnosed with an overnight oximeter study, which only monitors oxygen levels. Oral appliance therapy is one effective method of treating OSA, and is usually covered by most medical insurances, as well as Medicare.
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Dr. Donald Johnson founded Northwest Treatment Center for Snoring & Sleep Apnea in Coeur d’Alene to help patients stop their snoring and live free with no limits! His office is at 114 W. Neider Ave., near Costco. The website for more information is www.NWSleepDoc.com and the office phone is (208) 667-4551. Schedule an appointment today!
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