Sleep apnea treatment helps prevent heart disease?

If you're familiar with the term CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), you probably have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, which causes irregular breathing and oxygen delivery during sleeptime. Beyond that, did you know that sleep apnea can contribute to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)?

Using a CPAP machine to keep that airway unobstructed can cut the risk of artery hardening by a long shot, though, according to new research. The study's main conclusion was that there is indeed a direct link between sleep apnea and hardening of the arteries.

In the study, 24 men with sleep apnea received CPAP or no treatment and were monitored for four months for the early signs of pre-clinical atherosclerosis. A decrease in atherosclerosis signs were noted among those who used the CPAP machines. Coincidence? Not on your life.