It has already been established that people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to suffer a stroke and die while sleeping, but scientists have not been sure why.
New research sheds some light on the connection between this sleep disorder and stroke.
Findings published by the American Physiological Society suggest that apnea decreases blood flow to the brain, raising blood pressure.
This effect, when repeated several times over the course of many nights, reduces the brains ability to regulate blood flow to satisfy metabolic needs, scientists from Yale University School of Medicine say.
Lead researcher Vahid Mohsenin said that in a previous study, he and his colleagues found that those with sleep apena are three times more likely to suffer a stroke or die compared with their counterparts.
“After we found that sleep apnea is a risk factor for stroke and death, independent of other risk factors, we hypothesized that there must be something wrong with the regulation of blood flow to the brain,” he explained.
Several other lifestyle, diet and hereditary factors may affect your risk of stroke. Some people have turned to oral chelation to maintain artery and cardiovascular health.