Sleep apnea can be life-threatening. Take the Stop the Snore pledge.
DRS. MICHAEL ROIZEN AND MEHMET OZ
Sleep apnea — interruptions to breathing while asleep, lasting 10 or more seconds — is triggered when soft tissue in the back of the throat blocks airflow, by irregularities in the brain’s breathing instructions, or by both. Twenty-five million Americans have SA. Risk factors include obesity, smoking, drinking alcohol and taking muscle relaxants/sedatives, but even children can have it.
SA causes daytime fatigue, forgetfulness and mood changes. Untreated, it can be life-threatening — to both the person with SA and others. People with SA often fall asleep at inappropriate times and are at risk for ministrokes, plus cardiovascular and cognitive problems.
And now federal agencies declare that they’re not going to require SA testing for truck drivers and train operators, putting lives at risk. The NTSB considers SA the probable cause of 10 deadly highway and rail accidents that it’s investigated since 2000.
SA usually is managed by eliminating risk factors and/or keeping airways open when you sleep by using an oral appliance or a mask delivering positive airway pressure. If that doesn’t work, there’s the device newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration that uses implanted electrodes and a remote control to stop the muscles in the back of your throat from obstructing airflow. Occasionally, airway-widening surgery is needed.
So, for your health, your bedmate and travelers on roads and rails, if you think you have SA, pledge to Stop the Snore (sleepeducation.org), and see your doctor pronto!
Work stress a plague
In the “I Love Lucy” episode “Job Switching,” Lucy and Ethel take a job in a candy factory. When they find themselves on the candy-wrapping assembly line and can’t keep up with the task as the chocolates whiz by, Lucy frantically snatches the sweets from the conveyor belt and stuffs them in her mouth.
The stress of her job drove Lucy to overeat, an impulse that turns out to be quite common. Two new studies show the response to job stress earlier in the day can come back to haunt you in the form of bad eating habits in the evening. Researchers followed more than 200 employees in two groups; one group was in information technology, and the other in customer service. In both studies, participants who experienced higher levels of stress earlier in the day were likely to respond by eating more and making less nutritious choices at night. Lack of sleep the night before went along with making poor food choices too. On the other hand, getting plenty of sleep the previous night seemed to protect workers from eating poorly after a stressful day.
Work stress plagues 80 percent of Americans, and 70 percent are overweight or obese. Both are health problems — and both can be resolved. So, reduce your stress response by getting more and better quality sleep, and take time to meditate, even if it’s at your desk. Then enjoy a healthy meal (no added sugars, sat fats or highly processed foods) and a good night’s sleep.
Q: My uncle, an aunt and my dad all suffered dementia at the end of their lives. What are my chances of dodging this family curse?
Harriett S., Seneca Falls, New York
A: You definitely can increase your chances of good cognitive health as you get older. A study in The Lancet shows that one in three cases of dementia could be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle and being aware of some of the early warning signs, such as midlife hearing loss, that you might not usually associate with cognitive decline.
Yes, many of the modifiable risk factors for dementia that the study highlights are the ones we talk about every week: having Type 2 diabetes; being obese or overweight; having high blood pressure; smoking; and a lack of physical activity. But they also mention some risk factors you might be less aware of: social isolation; failing to seek early treatment for depression; and failing to complete a secondary education.
The good news: We think 80 percent of cases of cognitive decline are preventable, if you add in our nutritional advice found in “YOU on a Diet”; practice stress management and do mental speed-of-processing games; and avoid toxins. For the 16 million people in the U.S. living with cognitive impairment, that means 12 million could have dodged the decline.
Your smart steps are to get to a healthy weight and have good blood glucose numbers. You can do that by avoiding highly processed foods and kicking added sugar and syrups, any grain that isn’t 100 percent whole, all trans fats and most sat fats off your plate. Also get in your 10,000 steps a day, and seek treatment for high blood pressure, if needed. Also essential: If you’re depressed, seek help; if you smoke, try to quit (just Google “Dr. Michael Roizen’s Smoke-free Plan for Successful Quitters”); get your hearing tested; practice mindful meditation; volunteer in your neighborhood; and continue your education, which builds cognitive reserve.