Jan 9, 2025 · Untreated sleep apnea increases the risk for stroke, heart attack, and other serious problems. About 50 to 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder. To learn about NHLBI sleep research and find more sleep-related information, visit …

Jan 9, 2025 · Untreated sleep apnea prevents you from getting enough rest, which can cause problems with concentrating, remembering things, making decisions, or controlling your behavior. Sleep apnea affects many parts of your body. It can cause low oxygen levels during sleep and prevent you from getting enough quality sleep.

Jan 9, 2025 · Age: Sleep apnea can occur at any age, but your risk increases as you get older. As you age, fatty tissue can build up in your neck and tongue. Obesity: People with obesity can have increased fat deposits in their neck that can block their upper airway. Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent or treat sleep apnea caused by obesity.

Yet, as NHLBI-funded studies have found, sleep apnea can have severe health consequences over time if left untreated. The disorder has been associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and glaucoma.

Jan 9, 2025 · Untreated sleep apnea in children can lead to problems with learning and memory, known as learning disabilities. Daytime sleepiness and fatigue that result from sleep apnea can also impact your child's behavior and their desire to be physically active. In addition, they may be at higher risk for: Impaired growth; Poor academic performance

Sleep deficiency and untreated sleep disorders are associated with a growing number of health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. Sleep disorders can also be costly. Each year sleep disorders, sleep deprivation, and sleepiness add to the national health care bill.

Jun 23, 2021 · Findings underscore need for early treatment to prevent future cardiovascular disease. Children with obstructive sleep apnea are nearly three times more likely to develop high blood pressure when they become teenagers than children who never experience sleep apnea, according to a new study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Nov 10, 2017 · Researchers are reporting new evidence that sleep apnea—a common disorder that can cause people to snore frequently during sleep—may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A team of scientists studied 208 men and women aged 55 to 90, most of whom had sleep apnea but did not have any type of diagnosed dementia.

Jan 13, 2020 · For more than two decades, researchers have known that sleep apnea can cause severe health consequences if left untreated. Studies have linked it to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, glaucoma, and even a higher risk of accidents.

May 11, 2023 · The researchers also found women in the N3C study had an 89% increased likelihood of having long COVID if they had obstructive sleep apnea, compared to a 59% increased chance for men. The underlying associations aren’t clear. However, women diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea included in this study may have had more severe conditions than ...