Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease

Obstructive sleep apnea is related to various types of cardiovascular disease. Cardiologist Dr. Michael Faulx and Dr. Reena Mehra, Director of Sleep Disorders Research in the Sleep Center, have worked together to investigate this relationship. It is important to ask the right questions and look for risk factors to determine if there are underlying sleep disorders in the patient with cardiovascular disease. The STOP-BANG questionnaire can be used to test for high probability for sleep apnea but there are limitations. Testing for sleep apnea can be done at home – or in lab; and there are many ways it can be treated. Treating sleep apnea can improve cardiovascular disease, especially atrial fibrillation and high blood pressure.