February is American Heart Month!

All over the world, cardiovascular disease has gradually become the "first killer"，which is threatening human health, and its harm has no difference in age, status, or region.

The heart is the only organ that cannot be rested for a moment. When human life begins to be conceived in the mother's embryo, the heart works day and night. The occurrence of coronary heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy and other cardiovascular diseases has made the heart that was overwhelmed even worse and threatened human health and life seriously.

There are many reasons for heart disease, among which sleep apnea, high blood pressureare are important causes.

Yes, sleep apnea can take a toll on our heart health. It has been linked with heart arrhythmias, AFib, heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes, most likely because sleep apnea is associated with high blood pressure.

With sleep apnea, the person experiences a pause in his or her breathing that can last from a few seconds to minutes during sleep, often occurring five to 30 times per hour. When we stop breathing while we sleep, our heart rate drops, and then involuntary reflexes startles us into a 'micro-arousal' state, which causes our heart rate to accelerate quickly and makes our blood pressure rise. And this happens over and over again every night.

In addition, sleep apnea can lead to repeated episodes of lower oxygen levels in the blood, increases in carbon dioxide levels, pressure changes in the chest, and increased inflammation markers in the body, all of which can wreak havoc on heart function.

Over time, these physiological changes may lead to conditions such as chronic high blood pressure, a thickening of the heart walls because of the increased workload that’s forced upon the heart, and a stiffening of the heart. All of these changes increase the risk of heart arrhythmias and/or compromise the heart’s ability to function efficiently.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is known as "the silent killer" because most people experience no symptoms. 

If left untreated, high blood pressure greatly increases the risk for heart attack and stroke. In addition, high blood pressure is a major factor for worse outcomes for people with COVID-19. Now, more than ever, high blood pressure must be at the forefront of our healthy lifestyles.