According to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have more “bad” plaque in their coronary arteries.  Obstructive sleep apnea is may be associated with obesity and is caused when the upper airway becomes obstructed during sleep causing the sleeper to stop breathing.  Heavy snoring and gasping for air during sleep are signs of obstructive sleep apnea.  According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute millions of Americans have OSA, and about half of them are overweight.  Most of these individuals are unaware they suffer from the disease.

In the study, obese patients suffering from OSA and obese patients without OSA underwent CT scans of their heart.  the images showed that the amount of  plaque between the two groups was  similar.  The difference in the overall composition of the plaque in the vessels.  The obstructive sleep apnea patients had a much higher incidence of non-calcified plaque.  This is considered the “bad” kind of plaque because it is more vulnerable to breaking off and causing a blood clot which could cause a heart attack or stroke.  The OSA patients also had more narrowing of the vessels and more extensive vessel involvement.

If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea you can help protect your heart by treating your condition.  While CPAP is the most widely suggested treatment, a majority of OSA patients find sleeping with CPAP impossible.  If you are not able to tolerate CPAP therapy you may be a candidate for oral appliance therapy.

Oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea is highly effective and well tolerated by most individuals.

Please contact your Columbus area dental sleep medicine office today at 614-476-6696 to schedule a consultation.