Contact: Beth B. Wright
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Skyline hosting Sleep Fair to recognize National Sleep Awareness Week

Sleep Apnea Significantly Boosts Risks of Stroke and Heart Attack

NASHVILLE, TN.  March 14, 2006.  With the change to daylight savings time on Sunday, April 2, people’s minds are focused on the hour of sleep they’ll be losing.  That’s why the week of March 28 has been designated National Sleep Awareness Week, and why Skyline Medical Center is using it as an opportunity to educate the public.

A Sleep Fair – designed to provide information about the benefits of quality sleep and the consequences of unrecognized, untreated sleep problems and disorders – is being held on Friday, March 31, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Skyline Medical Center in the Food Court on the Garden Level.  Attendees will have the opportunity to take risk assessment tests, have a blood pressure screening, and talk with sleep professionals.  Additionally, people who are already being treated for a sleep disorder may be interested in a display of equipment and products used to treat various sleep disorders, primarily snoring and sleep apnea. 

For more information or to register, call TriStar MedLineSM at 342-1919 or outside of Nashville at 1-800-242-5662.

Among the most common sleep disorders is sleep apnea. A growing body of evidence shows that people with sleep apnea have a 27% increased risk of heart attack and a 240% increased risk of congestive heart failure. The disease is also an independent risk factor for stroke, according to a study in the Nov. 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Apnea is Greek for “without breath,'' and those who suffer from it can literally stop breathing for more than 10 seconds, causing sleep disruptions sometimes dozens of times a night. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the tongue and soft tissues in the back of the throat collapse to block the airway during sleep. The pauses in breathing can occur a few times or several hundred times a night, and the sleeper is typically unaware of it.

“When the body isn’t getting the oxygen it needs, it kicks into overdrive, sending a surge of adrenaline that makes the heart beat faster and blood pressure rise sharply,” said Murray Arons, MD.  Dr. Arons, who is Medical Director of Skyline’s Sleep Disorders Center, is board-certified in sleep medicine, pulmonology and critical care.

“High blood pressure has long been associated with heart attack and stroke. The rapid rise and fall of oxygen levels, called intermittent hypoxia, causes inflammation, an underlying cause of many problems, including the clogging of coronary arteries.”

Of the 18 million Americans with obstructive sleep apnea, most don't believe they have it until they are tested in a sleep lab, receive treatment and have the first good night's sleep they've had in years.

“Most people don’t realize they have a problem until their significant other complains about excessive snoring, or tells them they stop breathing during the night,” he said. “Some finally realize they need treatment when their daytime sleepiness gets so bad they fall asleep at work or have a car accident.”

The gold standard for diagnosis is a polysomnography, an overnight evaluation given at a sleep center. In the evaluation, technicians monitor oxygen levels, respiration, muscle tension, eye movement and snoring, enabling doctors to gauge the severity of the condition.

“Treatment options for sleep apnea have steadily improved,” Dr. Arons said. “The most common treatment is a mask-like device called CPAP (‘continuous positive airway pressure’) that pushes pressurized air down the airways to keep them open. Today's masks come in a variety of styles designed to help patients sleep through the night.”

A variety of other devices have been developed to keep the airways open, and these have had some success alleviating mild to moderate forms of sleep apnea. In milder cases, losing weight, sleeping on one's side or abstaining from alcohol sometimes can offer relief. In more severe cases and for people who can't stand wearing a mask, surgery to remove tissue from the mouth or throat may be recommended.  A product called a mandibular advancement device can also be effective.  Similar to a retainer, this device shifts the lower jaw forward to keep the throat from collapsing.

Skyline’s Sleep Disorders Center is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).   An accredited sleep disorders center is a comprehensive or full-service sleep disorders program that must be prepared to provide adequate evaluation of patients with a variety of sleep disorders.  

About Skyline Medical Center
Located at 3441 Dickerson Pike on the highest point in Davidson County, Skyline Medical Center is an ultra-modern facility, featuring all private patient rooms.  Recognized nationally for its neuroscience services, Skyline was the first hospital in Tennessee to earn “Primary Stroke Center” certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.  In addition to its neuroscience services, Skyline is also known for its cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics, rehabilitation and emergency services.  Part of the TriStar Health System family of hospitals, Skyline is located on a 59-acre campus which is also home to the 200,000 square-foot Skyline Medical Plaza, providing convenient access to physician offices and a pharmacy.

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