Just when you thought there weren’t any other connections out there. Well, we can now connect sleep apnea with kidney failure. That’s right; sleep apnea may be bad for the kidneys. According to Fox News, having sleep apnea may increase the risk of chronic kidney disease.
Researchers analyzed data for 10 years—from 2000 to 2010—on 8,600 adults diagnosed with sleep apnea and four times as many adults of similar age, sex and monthly income without sleep apnea. They found 157 new cases of chronic kidney disease among people with sleep apnea and 298 cases in the comparison group.
After taking other health factors into account, sleep apnea increased the risk of kidney disease by 58%—wow, that’s a large percentage! And, by comparison, hypertension increased the risk by 17%. Additionally, diabetes being a stronger predictor than both other factors, more than doubling the risk of kidney disease.
Intermittent low levels of of oxygen during the night and fragmented sleep patterns may activate higher blood pressure. As a result, this could damage the kidneys and make individuals more susceptible to chronic kidney disease.
Treating Sleep Apnea
Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea can be treated with a CPAP machine at night. This might help to decrease high blood pressure and mitigate kidney risk. The same goes for the use of oral appliance therapy. As a dentist specializing in Sleep Dentistry not only can you help treat sleep apnea, but you can also help to prevent kidney disease. The use of oral appliance therapy can help improve your sleep while improving your overall health and well being.
Do your research and gain a better understanding of sleep apnea and this new-founded connection with kidney disease. And, if you are ready to complete more continuing education courses in the area of sleep apnea, please take a look at some upcoming lectures. As always, if you have any questions or are interested in further information, please contact my office.
