Heart attacks are one the leading causes of death worldwide but remain a highly preventable disease. Two of the widely known precursors of heart attack are high cholesterol and high blood pressure, but one other lesser-known risk factor may arguably be more harmful.
Other studies had previously suggested a reverse causal effect – suggesting that arterial damage was in fact the cause of sleep apnea.
Researchers suggested that arterial damage came first, lowering the amount of oxygen in the blood which in turn caused breathing problems.
The findings of the study suggested that snoring is a bigger risk factor for stroke and heart attack than smoking, being overweight or having high cholesterol.
A different body of research investigating the effects of snoring on the heart found there was a twofold higher risk of heart arrhythmias among individuals with sleep apnea, and a 140 percent higher risk of heart failure.
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There are a plethora of hypotheses divulging the causal effect of sleep apnea on these conditions.
Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form of the condition, is caused by the collapse or blockage of the upper airway during sleep.
If left untreated, it can result in a number of health problems including hypertension, stroke, arrhythmias, diabetes and obesity.
People who carry excess weight are at risk of the condition since the fat in their throats can exacerbate the problem.
Some researchers believe sufferers are constantly awake and therefore feel exhausted during the day, with some researchers suggesting this could be a contributory factor.
Interestingly, the condition is found in 47 to 83 percent of people with cardiovascular disease, and 35 percent of people with high blood pressure.
Symptoms
The symptoms of heart attack are characteristically intrusive and sudden, with signs rarely presenting before an incident.
Regina Giblin, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, explained that symptoms women experience during a heart attack may be different to those men experience.
She said: “The most common symptoms, for both men and women, are sudden central chest pain or uncomfortable in the chest that doesn’t go away, which can feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing.
“There may be pain that radiate doesn’t the left arm, or both arms, or the neck, jaw, or stomach.
“Women can feel sick, light-headed or have shortness of breath or a sense of impending doom.”
In fact, data collated from emergency departments show that 45 percent of men had their condition correctly identified compared with only 39 percent of women.