Friday, November 2, 2012
Obstructive sleep apnea and coronary atherosclerosis
This article discusses research about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and coronary artery plaques, which are blockages in the arteries supplying the heart with blood. The softer the plaque, the more dangerous it is. The results showed that more severe OSA was associated with more soft plaque formation. Also, the more severe the OSA, the greater chance of having more than one artery with plaque. This was a small study, and more research needs to be done to determine if CPAP reduces the atherosclerosis.