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Whether The Damage Is Reversible If The Apnea Treated With CPAP?

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Posted on Tue, 17 Dec 2024
Question: I suspect that I have sleep apnea based on reports from my wife that I snore loudly and occasionally gasp.

I intend to have a sleep study performed, but have not done so yet. Once I have a Dx, I will consider CPAP or whether surgical interventions are appropriate.

My question concerns the effects of obstructive sleep apnea on the heart, and whether the damage is reversible if the apnea treated with CPAP, etc.

Thanks kindly.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar (6 hours later)
Brief Answer:
I would recommend as follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

I passed carefully through your question and would explain that sleep apnea is an independent cardio-vascular risk factor.

This means that if not treated for a long time, it can cause irreversible changes in the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk for future myocardial infarct or heart attack.

For this reason, especially if you feel tired or sleepy during the day, I would recommend performing a polysomnogram in order to determine if you suffer from sleep apnea.

Other tests to consider would be a head and cervical MRI in order to investigate for airway obstruction and pulmonary function tests.

Hope you will find this information helpful!

I remain at your disposal in case of further questions whenever you need!

Kind regards,

Dr. Ilir Sharka, Cardiologist
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 2087 Questions

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Whether The Damage Is Reversible If The Apnea Treated With CPAP?

Brief Answer: I would recommend as follows: Detailed Answer: Hello, I passed carefully through your question and would explain that sleep apnea is an independent cardio-vascular risk factor. This means that if not treated for a long time, it can cause irreversible changes in the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk for future myocardial infarct or heart attack. For this reason, especially if you feel tired or sleepy during the day, I would recommend performing a polysomnogram in order to determine if you suffer from sleep apnea. Other tests to consider would be a head and cervical MRI in order to investigate for airway obstruction and pulmonary function tests. Hope you will find this information helpful! I remain at your disposal in case of further questions whenever you need! Kind regards, Dr. Ilir Sharka, Cardiologist