Canada Pharmacy Links Sleep Apnea to Increased Cancer Death Threat

Jun 19
09:08

2012

Remcel Mae P. Canete

Remcel Mae P. Canete

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Sleep apnea has already been linked to a host of adverse health problems, such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

mediaimage

Sleep apnea has already been linked to a host of adverse health problems,Canada Pharmacy Links Sleep Apnea to Increased Cancer Death Threat Articles such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Now, new research suggests that in people who already have cancer, the sleep disorder may raise their risk of dying from cancer regardless of their intake of generic Zometa

"Sleep apnea is the periodic pausing of breathing during sleep that results in drops in oxygen levels in your blood. It causes snoring and sleepiness during the day," explained study author Dr. Javier Nieto, chair of the department of population health sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in Madison. 

"Aside from being an annoyance to your spouse, family members and maybe even your neighbors depending on how loud your snoring is, sleep apnea is a severe problem. Drowsiness and sleepiness during the day increase the risk of accidents, and sleep apnea is associated with cardiovascular disease, heart disease, strokes, hypertension and cardiovascular mortality. Now, we see this new angle: an increase in cancer mortality," said Nieto. 

Nieto said, "The new study was suggested by researchers from the University of Barcelona in Spain who found that when mice were deprived of oxygen periodically, skin cancer tumors grew faster in the mice. And, cancer cells in the lab that are deprived of oxygen produce molecules that stimulate the growth of blood vessels in an attempt to get more oxygen." 

Nieto said, "The study didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship, but the association was quite strong. And, the findings were consistent in humans, animals and in cells." This strengthens the move to buy Zometa in order to stop the growth of cancer cells. 

"There is also a plausible mechanism for this association. When you have cancer and you repeatedly have episodes of low or no oxygen, the cancer cells try to compensate for the lack of oxygen by growing additional blood vessels to get more oxygen. It's a defense mechanism," Nieto said. "And, as those blood vessels keep growing, it helps the tumor to spread," he explained. 

Dr. Steven Park, a sleep medicine specialist and otorhinolaryngologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, said, "I wasn't surprised by the findings." 

"This goes along with the link between sleep apnea and pretty much every chronic medical condition out there," Park said. But, he added that "this study's findings need to be confirmed in other studies, and ideally be published in a peer-reviewed journal." 

"Anyone with snoring, severe daytime fatigue, lack of memory or focus, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even someone who has to get up to go to the bathroom at night should be screened for sleep apnea," Park said. He added that "it's possible to have sleep apnea without snoring, especially for women. So, if you're getting enough sleep at night, yet still feel tired during the day, it's important to bring this up to your doctor." 

Nieto said that, "treating sleep apnea will improve your quality of life, as well as reduce your risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. And, if you have cancer, he said, treating sleep apnea may help increase your odds of surviving cancer." Canada pharmacy together with experts values quality sleep as much as they value a healthy lifestyle.