A person afflicted with untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is up to four times more likely to have a stroke as well as three times more likely to have heart disease. Approximately 50% of all patients who have hypertension, or high blood pressure, also have obstructive sleep apnea. Impaired cognitive functioning caused by OSA makes a person suffering from OSA to be as much as six times more likely to be involved in a car crash than those without sleep disorders. Furthermore, poor sleep quality and not enough sleep compromises the immune system increasing susceptibility to common colds and other respiratory viral infections.
Untreated OSA is associated with an increased risk of:- Stroke
- Congestive heart failure
- Atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease
- Insulin resistance and diabetes
- Growth of tumor cells leading to an increased risk in creating cancer
- Depression and an increased risk for Alzheimer’s Disease.