Sleep apnea is a condition marked by abnormal breathing during sleep. People with sleep apnea have multiple extended pauses in breath when they sleep. There are three types1 of sleep apnea, including obstructive sleep apnea(OSA), central sleep apnea(CSA), mixed sleep apnea. OSA is much more common than CSA. Obstructive sleep apnea is estimated to affect between 2-9% of adults(1) in the United States.
Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with multiple major stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, diabetes. It is also an independent risk factor for stroke. Luckily, treatments for obstructive sleep apnea are available. Treating sleep apnea earlier can lead to greatly reduced risks of stroke as well as improvements in the quality of life and overall health and well-being.
Prevent High Blood Pressure
Several studies have established OSA as a strong risk factor for high blood pressure(hypertension), one of the leading risk factors for stroke(2).Sudden drops in blood oxygen levels that occur during sleep apnea increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system. Having obstructive sleep apnea increases your risk of high blood pressure.
High blood pressure damages arteries throughout the body, creating conditions where they can burst or clog more easily. Weakened arteries in the brain, resulting from high blood pressure, put you at a much higher risk for stroke. Preventing or controlling high blood pressure can greatly lower the chances of having a stroke.
For those who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, it’s very important to accept sleep apnea treatment and have the blood pressure measured regularly
How Wellue Can Help
Wellue Blood pressure Monitor with EKG
For at-home instant and regular monitoring.
Can record long-term data for health insight.
Easily share the data with healthcare providers.
Prevent Atrial Fibrillation
Obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) is common among patients with atrial fibrillation(AF). Growing evidence suggests(3) that OSA is associated with the initiation and maintenance of AF. This association is independent of obesity, body mass index and hypertension. OSA not only promotes initiation of AF but also has a significant negative impact on the treatment of AF. Patients with untreated OSA have a higher AF recurrence rate with drug therapy, electrical cardioversion and catheter ablation. Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) has been shown to improve AF control in patients with OSA.
Atrial fibrillation(AF) increase the risk of stroke by 5-fold, and more than 40% of all strokes in patients older than 80 years are attributable to AF(4).In AF, the chaotic rhythm may cause blood to pool in the heart’s upper chambers(atria) and form clots. If a blood clot forms, it could dislodge from the heart and travel the brain. There it might block blood flow, causing a stroke.
Preventing or controlling atrial fibrillation can greatly lower the chances of having a stroke.
Tests used to diagnose atrial fibrillation include:
Electrocardiogram
Holter monitor
Stress test
Echocardiogram
Transesophageal echocardiogram
Chest X-ray
How Wellue Can Help
Wellue holder monitor: This portable monitor tracks the heart’s electrical activity over 24 hours. It’s useful because atrial fibrillation events may not happen all the time. The data can be easily shared with the doctors.
Checkme™ Doctor Vital Signs Monitor
EKG Holter monitor for 24 hours.
Record ECG/EKG when an Afib event happens.
More useful functions:
Infrared Thermometer
Tracking Oxygen Saturation
Sleep Apnea Screening
Tracking Blood Pressure
Touch Screen Operation
Prevent Diabetes
Studies suggest(5) (6)that obstructive sleep apnea is independently associated with alterations in glucose metabolism and places patients at an increased risk of developing insulin resistance and diabetes. The oxygen desaturation index is the main determining factor(7).
Diabetes is a well-established risk factor for stroke(8). Diabetes means you have too much sugar(glucose) in your blood, and this can make you more likely to have a stroke. This is because having too much sugar in your blood damages the blood vessels. It can make the blood vessels become stiff, and can also cause a build-up of fatty deposits. Preventing and controlling diabetes well can reduce stroke risk.
How Wellue Can Help
For those who have been diagnosed with diabetes,self-testing the blood sugar (blood glucose) can be an important tool in managing the diabetes and preventing complications. Wellue Checkme Suit enables at-home blood sugar testing every day.
Checkme™ Suit comes with a blood glucose meter kit (a blood glucose meter, test strips, lancing device, sterile lancet included) and a carrying case.
More useful functions:
EKG Holter monitor for 24 hours.
ECG/EKG recorder
Infrared Thermometer
Tracking Oxygen Saturation
Sleep Apnea Screening
Tracking Blood Pressure
Touch Screen Operation
Be Informed, Be Healthy
People with sleep apnea can live long, healthy lives, free from heart disease, stroke, and other health problems. Recognizing the connection between sleep apnea and stroke is the first step towards lowering stroke risk. Here are more tips:
Work with your doctor to manage your sleep apnea and other stroke risk factors, such as hypertension and high cholesterol.
Limit your alcohol consumption.
If you smoke, quit.
Maintain a healthy diet.
Add regular exercise to your routine.
If you think you’re having a stroke, seek emergency help right away.
How Wellue Can Help
It’s very important to evaluate the effectiveness of sleep apnea treatments at home. When a sleep apnea event happens, the blood oxygen level(pulse oximetry reading: SpO2) drops. Overnight blood oxygen level fluctuation can be used to monitor the ongoing treatment(9).
Wellue Continuous Oxygen Monitor:
-Sleep apnea screening.
-Overnight blood oxygen level tracking.
-Evaluating the effectiveness of sleep apnea treatment and remedies.
-Optional vibrating alerting function for low blood oxygen.
– Unique ring-shaped design for comfortable sleep.
Trusted Source:
1. National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information: Obstructive Sleep Apnea
https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/pulmonary-disorders/sleep-apnea/obstructive-sleep-apnea
2.PubMed: Prospective study of the association between sleep-disordered breathing and hypertension.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10805822/
3.PMC: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and Atrial Fibrillation
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4711541/
4.PubMed: Association of atrial fibrillation with mortality and disability after ischemic stroke.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23902702/
5.PubMed: Obstructive sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes: interacting epidemics
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18252916/
6.PubMed: Obstructive sleep apnea: an unexpected cause of insulin resistance and diabetes
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24582098/
7.PubMed: Obstructive sleep apnea is independently associated with insulin resistance
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11874812/
8.NVBI: Diabetes and Stroke: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Pharmaceuticals and Outcomes
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5298897/
9.PMC: The Role of Overnight Pulse-Oximetry in Recognition of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3869111/yndrome in Morbidly Obese and Non Obese Patients