Risk of cancer high for women with sleep apnea: Study
| Aug 19, 2019, 12:21 IST
A new study warns women who suffer from sleep apnea have an increased risk of developing cancer. Researchers believe there is a strong link between nocturnal hypoxia and cancer in women.
"It's reasonable to assume that sleep apnea is a risk factor for cancer, or that both conditions have common risk factors, such as being overweight. On the other hand, it is less likely that cancer leads to sleep apnea," study author Ludger Grote, an Adjunct Professor and chief physician in sleep medicine, told a news portal.
For the study, the team examined the data from the European database ESADA. It includes information on close to 20,000 adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The team also found close to 2 per cent of the patients were diagnosed with cancer.While conducting their investigation, the team considered many cotributing factors like advanced age, gender, body mass index (BMI), consumptions of alcohol, and smoking. However, they discovered a strong link between cancer prevalence and intermittent hypoxia. The team discovered this link affected women more than men. The study's findings were originally published in the European Respiratory Journal.
The news study backs up previous studies that suggest many people who have been diagnosed with cancer also have a history with sleep apnea. More and more research is now studying gender aspects and why men and women are affected by the disease in different ways. "Above all, the focus has been on the connection with one form of cancer: malignant melanoma," Grote told a news portal. Adding, "Cancer of the breast or womb may now become a new area. There may be a combined effect of female sex hormones and stress activation, induced by nocturnal hypoxia in sleep apnea, that can trigger cancer development or a weakening of the body's immune system."
Some studies have also found sleep apnea may cause diabetes. "When a person sleeps at night, the muscles in the air passage collapse and the airways on the windpipe become narrow. Hence, it does not provide enough air for lungs and breathing gets affected and sometimes blocks the breath, which is called apnea. It basically affects people at the age of 30 to 40 above. Sleep apnea ultimately leads to increase the risk factors of diabetes like obesity and blood pressure as the body's reaction to sleep loss can resemble insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes",Dr N Ramakrishnan, Director, Nithra Institute of Sleep Science, told a news portal.
"It's reasonable to assume that sleep apnea is a risk factor for cancer, or that both conditions have common risk factors, such as being overweight. On the other hand, it is less likely that cancer leads to sleep apnea," study author Ludger Grote, an Adjunct Professor and chief physician in sleep medicine, told a news portal.
For the study, the team examined the data from the European database ESADA. It includes information on close to 20,000 adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The team also found close to 2 per cent of the patients were diagnosed with cancer.While conducting their investigation, the team considered many cotributing factors like advanced age, gender, body mass index (BMI), consumptions of alcohol, and smoking. However, they discovered a strong link between cancer prevalence and intermittent hypoxia. The team discovered this link affected women more than men. The study's findings were originally published in the European Respiratory Journal.
The news study backs up previous studies that suggest many people who have been diagnosed with cancer also have a history with sleep apnea. More and more research is now studying gender aspects and why men and women are affected by the disease in different ways. "Above all, the focus has been on the connection with one form of cancer: malignant melanoma," Grote told a news portal. Adding, "Cancer of the breast or womb may now become a new area. There may be a combined effect of female sex hormones and stress activation, induced by nocturnal hypoxia in sleep apnea, that can trigger cancer development or a weakening of the body's immune system."
Some studies have also found sleep apnea may cause diabetes. "When a person sleeps at night, the muscles in the air passage collapse and the airways on the windpipe become narrow. Hence, it does not provide enough air for lungs and breathing gets affected and sometimes blocks the breath, which is called apnea. It basically affects people at the age of 30 to 40 above. Sleep apnea ultimately leads to increase the risk factors of diabetes like obesity and blood pressure as the body's reaction to sleep loss can resemble insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes",Dr N Ramakrishnan, Director, Nithra Institute of Sleep Science, told a news portal.