poor concentration, mood swings, and long-term health risks like high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes are some of its most common symptoms, it could also impact your liver health While daytime fatigue.
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious condition that causes breathing to stop and start several times while you are asleep, according to the Mayo Clinic .
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Kasturi Baruah, medical oncologist and hemato-oncologist at M|O|C Cancer Care, Mumbai, elaborated on how a sleep disorder may affect long-term liver health. Over time, it could also have implications for liver health. To understand how OSA can impact your liver, it is first important to know how it occurs. Dr Kasturi explained that OSA occurs when the upper respiratory tract narrows or closes off during sleep, which causes interrupted breathing and reduced levels of oxygen in the body. This may lead to increased insulin resistance, a contributing factor to fat accumulation in the liver, she explained. Dr Kasturi also underlined that “sleep apnea should not be viewed merely as a problem of snoring or disturbed sleep. When it coexists with obesity, diabetes, or other metabolic risk factors, it is important to consider the patient’s overall health, including liver health. It may form an important part of comprehensive care. Though snoring often does not indicate sleep apnea, Dr Kasturi cautioned that certain symptoms should be considered, such as:
So, a reduction in oxygen levels in the body due to cessation or restriction of breathing during sleep may disrupt these processes.
Loud snoring, disturbed sleep , and constant daytime tiredness are easy to dismiss as part of a hectic routine, but if these symptoms are caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the problem may not end with a poor night’s sleep, according to her. It is well known that the liver controls blood sugar levels, metabolises lipids, and regulates the organism’s energy requirements, according to Dr Kasturi.
