A recent study has revealed that women who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) face a higher cardiac risk than men.

The Economic Times reported that snoring might be a sign of OSA, a serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. 

Other indicators for sleep apnea are gasping for air when asleep, waking up with a dry mouth, morning headaches and irritability.

The study said OSA could lead to a higher risk for left ventricular and, at times, right ventricular dysfunction in the heart, which could cause cardiac arrest.

“We found that the cardiac parameters in women appear to be more easily affected by the disease and that women who snore or have OSA might be at greater risk for cardiac involvement,” says lead author Adrian Curta of Munich University Hospital in Germany.

Read also: Feeling sleepy all day and other signs of sleep apnea

According to WebMD, OSA happens when something blocks your upper airway during sleep, which makes your diaphragm and chest muscles work harder to open the obstructed airway and pull air into the lungs. 

The study analyzed 4,877 patients who had received a cardiac MRI.

Presented at the 104th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, the group of self-reported snorers showed cardiac changes that suggested earlier impairment along with undiagnosed OSA.

“The prevalence of diagnosed OSA in the study group was extremely low. Together with the alterations in cardiac function in the snoring group, it led us to believe that OSA may be grossly under-diagnosed,” said Curta.

For people who snore, Curta advised that they get screened for OSA. Treatment would depend on what causes an individual’s OSA. (sop/wng)

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