Sleep apnea and cholesterol
Sleep apnea can be a trigger for many ailments, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other illnesses. It can also have an adverse effect on your cholesterol level.
First, there are 2 types of cholesterol, the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol. It used to be that you would be given just one number to tell where your cholesterol level was. Not now, you also have to take in consideration that some cholesterol is good.
LDL is the bad cholesterol. It clogs up the arteries with plaque, which could eventually lead to complete blockage, which could kill you.
HDL is the good cholesterol. It helps send cholesterol and fats back to the liver for recycling.
Sleep apnea can reduce the level of good cholesterol. Apnea affects lipid metabolism, which has a direct effect on good and bad cholesterol, according to a German study done in 2006. The same study found that CPAP helped raise HDL cholesterol.
Of course, being tired all the time can lead to poor eating habits. I know that I gravitate toward foods that have a lot of sugar in them, I imagine because it gives me a temporary pickup that I need to get through the day. I am also sure that if I exercised more, I would probably have better eating habits, but as tired as I am during the day, it is hard to get motivated to exercise.
Once again, there is another reason to find relief from your sleep apnea.
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First, there are 2 types of cholesterol, the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol. It used to be that you would be given just one number to tell where your cholesterol level was. Not now, you also have to take in consideration that some cholesterol is good.
LDL is the bad cholesterol. It clogs up the arteries with plaque, which could eventually lead to complete blockage, which could kill you.
HDL is the good cholesterol. It helps send cholesterol and fats back to the liver for recycling.
Sleep apnea can reduce the level of good cholesterol. Apnea affects lipid metabolism, which has a direct effect on good and bad cholesterol, according to a German study done in 2006. The same study found that CPAP helped raise HDL cholesterol.
Of course, being tired all the time can lead to poor eating habits. I know that I gravitate toward foods that have a lot of sugar in them, I imagine because it gives me a temporary pickup that I need to get through the day. I am also sure that if I exercised more, I would probably have better eating habits, but as tired as I am during the day, it is hard to get motivated to exercise.
Once again, there is another reason to find relief from your sleep apnea.
Feel free to comment, and please subscribe to my RSS Feed
Thanks
For people who smoke, as in my case, it is preferable to more strictly checkups for cholesterol?
ReplyDeleteYou spend much time working and always tired step, it is possible that the accumulated fatigue makes my cholesterol to rise?.
Thanks
Sara Verliz