What problems can be caused by sleep apnea?

Video Overview

What kind of problems in the cardiovascular arena can be caused by sleep apnea? We know now, from the Sleep Heart Health Study, a long study of people who have sleep apnea, that people could have heart attacks, have stroke, have heart arrhythmias, atria fibrillation, that they can toss a clot off up to the brain, and causes stroke. Plus the fact that we know that those then treated sleep apnea folks were not functioning at optimal capacity in their work and everyday lives. They get automobile accidents, and the irony is a lot of these folks do not even know they are sleepy. Sometimes, the husband would come in with the wife, I will ask him, "Do you snore?" "No," the wife gives him an elbow; or "Ever fall asleep in front of the TV at night?" "Do you fall asleep in the car?" "No, no." get the elbow again. Sometimes, "I'm afraid to drive with this guy because he falls asleep at the stop lights," it is a dangerous situation. And it is something that can be treated effectively.