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Treating sleep apnea may improve symptoms of metabolic syndrome

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Treating sleep apnea in men may help them improve their cholesterol test scores, as well as improve a number of other indicators of heart health, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The India Institute of Medical Science researchers who conducted the study said that individuals with sleep apnea are known to have higher rates of metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, unregulated blood sugar and unhealthy cholesterol levels. The conditions substantially increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

However, it was not known if treating sleep apnea reduced any of these risk factors. For the study, the team tested the effect of a therapy known as continuous positive airway pressure. This is a common treatment for sleep apnea that involves the wearing of a mask that provides a regular airflow during sleeping.

The results showed that individuals treated with this approached showed significant improvements in a number of measures of metabolic syndrome, including cholesterol test scores. The findings indicate that treating sleep apnea may have a direct positive impact on men's metabolic health.