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Like other sleep disorders, sleep apnea carries a higher risk of heart disease.

People with sleep apnea have a higher risk of arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. They’re also at higher risk for negative outcomes, including death.

Sleep apnea also is linked with risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure and obesity.

If you have sleep apnea, it’s important to take steps to lower your risk of heart disease. Getting treatment for your sleep apnea may lower your cardiovascular risk.

Learn more about sleep apnea and its link to heart disease.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition that involves disruptions in your breathing during sleep. It can cause your breathing to stop and start over and over while you’re sleeping.

There are two main types of sleep apnea.

• Central sleep apnea (CSA) — CSA occurs when communication between the brain and the muscles that control breathing gets disrupted.
• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) — OSA happens when the airway in the back of your throat is narrowed or blocked during sleep. Because of this, air can’t pass through your airway as it normally would. Obstructive sleep apnea often is associated with snoring, gasping, or choking sounds during sleep.

Obstructive sleep apnea is much more common than central sleep apnea. It’s estimated that tens of millions of Americans suffer from OSA, but many cases go undiagnosed.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

The symptoms of central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea are different. But both include disruptions in your breathing while you sleep, as well as excessive fatigue during the day.

Because breathing problems happen during sleep, it’s possible that someone with sleep apnea doesn’t know about their issues. Often, it takes another person to point out snoring or breathing troubles to someone with sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea symptoms

Snoring is the most common symptom associated with obstructive sleep apnea. The snoring occurs because air isn’t passing normally through the person’s constricted airway. It also can cause people to wake up and gasp for breath, leading to choking, gasping, or snorting sounds.

People with OSA also tend to experience symptoms during the day. They may feel very tired and irritable.

Common OSA symptoms include:

• Dry mouth after waking up.
• Excessive daytime tiredness.
• Headaches, especially in the morning.
• Irritability.
• Lack of focus.
• Snoring at night, accompanied by gasping, choking, or snorting.
• Urgency to urinate at night.

Central sleep apnea symptoms

Common symptoms of central sleep apnea include:

• Disrupted or abnormal breathing while sleeping.
• Excessive tiredness during the day.
• Headaches, especially in the morning.
• Shortness of breath or chest pains.
• Trouble concentrating.
• Waking up unexpectedly at night.

Sleep Apnea and Heart Disease

Sleep apnea is one of many sleep disorders that has a link to heart disease. Research shows sleep apnea can put you at risk for heart disease independent of any other demographic or medical risk factors.

That means sleep apnea itself is a risk factor for heart disease. The lack of consistent oxygen because of sleep apnea can put a high amount of stress on your heart.

Research has linked obstructive sleep apnea with many different forms of cardiovascular disease. These include:

• Arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AFib), ventricular tachycardia, and others.
• Congestive heart failure.
• Coronary artery disease.
• Stroke.

According to the Sleep Foundation, people with sleep apnea are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop arrhythmia than people without sleep apnea. The risk of heart failure increases by 140%, and the risk of coronary heart disease increases by 30%.

People with OSA also have a higher risk of adverse heart disease outcomes, including death, according to the American Heart Association.

Obstructive sleep apnea also can increase your risk of health conditions that put you at risk for heart disease. These include diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Sleep apnea also is linked with obesity, which is another risk factor for heart disease. The Sleep Foundation reports that between 60% and 90% of people with sleep apnea are obese.

The link between heart disease and OSA may go both ways, according to a 2023 article in the Anatolian Journal of Cardiology. According to the article, evidence suggests people with heart disease are at higher risk for developing sleep apnea.

Much of the research around sleep apnea and heart disease focuses on obstructive sleep apnea. However, central sleep apnea also can lead to an increased risk for heart disease. For example, research has shown a link between CSA and AFib, according to the International Journal of Cardiology (Heart & Vasculature).

Lowering Your Risk of Heart Disease with Sleep Apnea

Because of the heart risks associated with sleep apnea, it’s important to seek treatment for sleep apnea. If you or someone else notice symptoms of sleep apnea, talk to your doctor about treatment.

A common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. In PAP therapy, a machine pumps air through a hose and mask that you wear on your face or nose. This helps keep your airway open. The most common type of PAP machine is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which pumps a consistent level of air pressure.

PAP therapy has shown promise in reducing cardiovascular risks in people with sleep apnea. A 2023 analysis in Journal of the American Medical Association reported that people who used CPAP devices for four or more hours a day had a “significantly lower risk” of negative cardiac outcomes.

Other treatments for sleep apnea include mouthpieces worn during sleep and surgery. Lifestyle changes — better nutrition, more exercise, reducing alcohol use, and more — also can help with symptoms. These treatments also can help to lower your risk of heart disease.

In addition to getting treatment for your sleep apnea, ask your doctor whether you should see a cardiologist. A cardiologist can help determine your heart health and plan any treatments that can lower your cardiovascular risk.

While sleep apnea is a risk factor for heart disease, getting treatment can help you lower your health risk.

At UPMC, our sleep medicine experts can help diagnose and treat sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. To find care near you, visit our website.