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The following symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can significantly reduce a person’s quality of life. (In one study the reduction in quality of life with OSA was equivalent to that observed with diabetes or hypertension.1) Studies show OSA can raise your death risk by 46%. However, treatment can successfully reduce and even resolve these problems.

Many people with OSA are excessively sleepy during the daytime. This can make it difficult to work, and can even lead to job loss. If you have OSA you might fall asleep while driving a car, watching television, reading, talking on the telephone, or even while eating a meal. People with OSA might not complain of sleepiness; they just think that they are “slowing down” and getting more tired as they get older.

Depression is very common in people with untreated OSA. Frequently, people are treated for depression for years before anyone realizes that OSA is causing the depression. People with OSA can also have memory problems, difficulty concentrating, amnesia of events, and slower reaction times.

People with OSA are up to ten times more likely to have a motor vehicle accident as a result of sleepiness, sometimes with fatal results.5 Persons who knowingly drive while sleepy may be at risk for civil and criminal liability.6 OSA-related sleepiness can be especially devastating with commercial truck drivers (who have higher rates of OSA) as well as operators of public transportation vehicles. A 2008 train crash in Boston was attributed to the sleepiness of a driver who likely had undiagnosed OSA.7 In this sad example, the driver was killed, passengers were injured, and millions of dollars of damages were incurred.8

There is increasing evidence that untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can have a significant impact on your personal health. Successful treatment of OSA may reduce the risks of these related ailments.

Studies suggest that having OSA raises the heart rate and increases blood pressure, placing stress on the heart. This may be because apneas frequently reduce blood oxygen levels, activating the branch of the nervous system responsible for increasing heart performance. In addition, levels of chemicals in the blood that cause inflammation and promote elevations in blood sugar rise. Such inflammation can damage the heart and blood vessels. 1, 2 Both hypertension and diabetes increase the risk for heart disease, and the likelihood of being diagnosed with one of these illnesses increases as a result of OSA.

High blood pressure is a common chronic medical condition. It afflicts over 40% of people between 50 and 60 years of age in the United States. OSA is a risk factor for the development of hypertension.3 Approximately 50% of those with sleep apnea have hypertension. In fact, elevated blood pressure might be the only clue that a person has OSA. Fortunately, treatment of OSA may result in better control or even resolution of hypertension.

Coronary artery disease occurs in 67% of the adult population of the United States. It frequently results in heart attacks and premature death. Evidence indicates that OSA might be a risk factor for future heart attacks or angina pectoris (chest pain related to blockage of blood vessels supplying the heart), and middle-aged men might be at particular risk.

Having a stroke can be a devastating event, with the potential for severe disability or death. OSA might be a risk factor for having a stroke and recovery after a stroke might be delayed in people with OSA. Conversely, people who have had a stroke are more at risk of developing OSA.

Coinciding with the increase in obesity in the United States, more and more people are developing type 2 diabetes. Research indicates that blood sugar (glucose) levels are higher among people with OSA. However, it appears that treatment of OSA may improve blood sugar levels.

Because OSA is associated with a number of chronic medical conditions, not surprisingly, several studies have shown an association between OSA and increased likelihood of premature death.6 Middle-aged men appear to be at greatest risk, with the cause of death most commonly related to cardiovascular disease. Football star Reggie White, a Hall of Fame defensive end for three NFL teams, died of cardiac and pulmonary problems that were likely intensified by his sleep apnea. He was 43.