You may have already heard that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can cause the body and mind many problems, including depression, cognitive impairment, lethargy, and even more serious conditions like heart problems and stroke. But a new study in The Annals of the American Thoracic Society has now revealed yet another negative side effect to sleep apnea: aging.
It seems that among the study participants diagnosed with sleep apnea, researchers noted some increased key indicators of aging. These indicators included pathophysiologic changes such as mitochondrial dysfunction, genomic instability, and deregulation of nutrient sensing, among others. So, bottom line, what do all these big words mean for patients with sleep apnea?
Well, for starters, it shows the dangerous damage caused on the body by sleep apnea – and not just in older patients with sleep apnea. While sleep apnea is more common amongst those who are over the age of 50, there are plenty of cases of younger individuals with sleep apnea, and more doctors are reporting the disorder in children and teens. In the Annals of the American Thoracic Society study, researchers found that the aging process was actually accelerated in younger sleep apnea patients, not older.
While more research still needs to be conducted, this just goes to show that sleep apnea is a very serious condition that can affect the body in dangerous ways – ways that we don’t fully understand yet.
This is why it’s imperative to treat sleep apnea as soon as possible. Though there are several common treatments available for sleep apnea, many people are dissatisfied with certain treatments like CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy, and thus don’t use it as prescribed.
This is where treatment from Dr. Mingus comes in. Dr. Mingus uses a proces called facial aesthetics and growth to treat sleep apnea patients. Facial aesthetics and growth treatment has been found to improve sleep apnea symptoms, often eliminating sleep apnea entirely, allowing the patient to breath naturally in the reclining position.
To learn more about how facial aesthetics and growth treatment can benefit you and your sleep apnea, please contact Dr. Mingus to schedule a consultation today.