Waking up gasping while sleeping? Cardiologist warns sleep apnea may increase risk of ‘sudden cardiac arrest at night’

Sleep apnea, a condition where breathing stops during sleep and triggers frequent awakenings, puts serious strain on heart.

While you may have heard the recommendation of seven to eight hours of sleep daily for good health, did you know that the quality of sleep also matters significantly? Sleep apnea is a condition where a person experiences repeated pauses in breathing at night, causing them to jolt awake, gasping for air. This requires urgent medical attention because of the alarming heart risks sleep apnea may pose. Sleep apnea puts immense pressure on the heart and can even increases the risk of cardiac arrest.

Sleep apnea is a disorder where a person stops breathing for short periods while sleeping, and they wake up with a jolt. (Shutterstock)

To understand more about the correlation between sleep apnea and cardiovascular risks, Dr Prateek Chaudhary, Senior Consultant - Interventional Cardiology at Asian Hospital, told HT Lifestyle in an interview that sleep apnea is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders. Subsequently, this increased interruption in breathing has a direct consequence on the heart, becoming one of the leading causes of cardiovascular diseases.

Why does sleep apnea pose a big risk to your heart?

So let's first understand why sleep apnea cannot be brushed aside as just a restless night, and how it puts serious pressure on your heart's functions.

Dr Prateek Chaudhary described what happens in sleep apnea: “Lack of respiration due to intermittent breathing is followed by a sudden decrease in oxygen levels in the body of an individual with sleep apnea. The brain is compelled to wake the body up, short-lived in each episode, to resume breathing. Such periods of low oxygen and regular awakening from sleep are highly stressful to the cardiovascular system. ”

The cardiologist alerted that when a person wakes up, blood pressure and heart rate also spike, and this chronic strain may lead to hypertension, arrhythmia, and cardiac alterations.

Now that you know why sleep apnea puts a strain on your heart, let’s look at the factor that is the strongest link between the two: high blood pressure, which can also escalate the risk of heart attacks.

The cardiologist said, “Night stress on the blood vessels hardens them and renders them unable to relax, causing permanent damage to the vessels in the long run. This leads to the danger of heart attack and stroke.”

Risk of irregular heart rhythms

One troubling condition may arise from chronic sleep apnea's effect on the heart. The cardiologist highlighted atrial fibrillation as a concern. He said, “Sleep apnea is also linked to a high correlation of developing irregular heart rhythms, especially atrial fibrillation. The recurring bursts of adrenaline and the decreasing oxygen levels destabilise the electricity of the heart.”

Moreover, this in turn increases the risk of life-threatening conditions at night. He remarked, “The condition was associated with sudden cardiac arrest at night, which only highlights the possible severity of sleep apnea.”

Heart failure

Heart failure may also happen if sleep apnea is not treated. (Freepik)

Since sleep apnea may weaken the heart over time, one of the most serious consequences is heart failure. Dr Prateek Chaudhary said, “The broken sleep and continuous lack of oxygen as a result of sleep apnea is a debilitating factor to the heart muscle in the long run. Patients with untreated sleep apnea have worse outcomes in terms of increased hospitalisation and decreased survival despite having heart failure. In other situations, central sleep apnea, which is more prevalent in more severe heart failure cases, forms a vicious cycle between the two conditions, affecting each other.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.