A study led by Kim L. Ward of the Center for Health and Disease at the University of Western Australia (Australia) examined the links between car crashes and obstructive sleep apnea.
The researchers analyzed the medical questionnaires of 2,673 participants. The volunteers had to answer for their state of health and the number of car accidents in which they were involved. They too all underwent a sleep analysis to determine if they had any sleep disturbances and their severity.
“Anything that can increase daytime sleepiness, whether it’s poor sleep or obstructive sleep apnea, would increase the risk of serious accidents and collisions,” Kim L. Ward concludes.
Scientists found that the rate of car accidents in untreated obstructive sleep apnea patients was 3 times the rate in the general population, and that “very drowsy” men were about 4.7 times more likely to have a car accident than men with normal daytime vigilance. However, the researchers found no increased risk of car accidents in women with sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea: what are the health risks?
Sleep apnea is manifested by involuntary stops in breathing while sleeping. These breathing pauses (it is like an apnea) last between 10 and 45 seconds and can recur several times an hour, causing, in the long run, serious consequences on health.
Sleep apnea is a disease that shouldn’t be taken lightly. It absolutely needs to be diagnosed. In addition to the fatigue it causes, it can indeed have serious consequences on health. In the long term, poor oxygenation of the body can lead to heart troubles, high blood pressure and even the risk ofinfarction or cancer.
This study was published in the scientific journal the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
