Central Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure

The phrase central sleep apnea is a term that refers to a sleep disorder that involves the cessation of breathing resulting owed to the inability of the brain to properly signal to the breathing muscles.   Central sleep apnea is not the most common type of sleep apnea so it should not be confused with obstructive sleep apnea that occurs when air is unable to flow through the nostrils or the mouth of the person.  Research has showed that there is a strong connection between central sleep apnea and heart failure. 

In fact, the Mayo Clinic found through research that central sleep apnea may actually cause or increase the risks of heart failure.  

Past and Present: Central Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure 

In the past, scientists, doctors, and researchers thought that central sleep apnea was simply a symptom of heart failure and this influenced the development of medication used to treat both conditions.  Through more research researchers have come to believe that central sleep apnea may be contributing to heart failure instead of simply being a symptom of the condition. 

If you experience sleep apnea you need to see the doctor.  Damage to the brain structure may actually cause the central sleep apnea in the patient.  The central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send messages to the breathing muscles, which help to normalize breathing patterns. 

Evidence Supporting the Sleep Apnea Heart Failure Connection 

A study in the Journal of American Heart Association found that the sleeping patterns of 47 people having weakened pumping conditions of the heart did not have heart failure.  Furthermore, in the study half o the participants suffered from central sleep apnea with 17 of them having it severely. 

The study went on to find that those with heart irregularities central sleep apnea leads to heart failure.  The studies confirmed that central apnea is a symptom of heart failure, but it also increases the risk for developing dangerous heart rhythms.  The bottom line is that those with impaired heart function are at risk when they develop central sleep apnea. 

Central Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure Controversy 

There is some controversy associated with the treatment of central sleep apnea.  In other forms of sleep apnea the CPAP machine is used to help treat the condition. 

It has been found that central sleep apnea is not usually effective in the treatment of central sleep apnea, leaving many to wonder why some doctors treat with the CPAP when it is not known to have any positive effect.