When a person suffers from sleep apnea, they stop breathing throughout the night while they sleep. As you know, this can be very dangerous because it can impact a person’s health. In fact, experts now recognize that there is a link between cholesterol and sleep apnea.
What is the link?
A large study looked at this connection between sleep apnea and cholesterol. From this study, researchers found a significant relationship between high total cholesterol, harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and sleep apnea.
People with more severe obstructive sleep apnea also had lower levels of high-dentistry lipoprotein (HDL), which is also known as good cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is important because it helps your body eliminate excess LDL, which is known as bad cholesterol.
Seek treatment for sleep apnea
Knowing about yet another negative impact on the health of those with sleep apnea, this should place further emphasis on the need to get tested for sleep apnea and treated. With proper treatment, you can improve your health and potentially avoid other complications that are associated with sleep apnea.
Contact Dr. Mayoor Patel at Craniofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Center of Georgia to learn more about sleep apnea and what treatment options are available.