{"id":217,"date":"2021-07-09T16:10:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-09T16:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prachdds.com\/blog\/?p=217"},"modified":"2021-08-09T16:14:29","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T16:14:29","slug":"sleep-apnea-higher-cancer-risk-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prachdds.com\/blog\/2021\/07\/sleep-apnea-higher-cancer-risk-women\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Sleep Apnea a Risk Factor for Cancer in Women?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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After heart disease, cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States. While some cases of cancer are inevitable due to an individual\u2019s genetics, many cases arise from modifiable risk factors. Research suggests that sleep apnea<\/a> may be one of those risk factors, especially for women. Let\u2019s take a look at how these two serious conditions may be connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Cancer Is More Common in Women with Sleep Apnea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A 2019 study<\/a> examined data from nearly 20,000 adults with sleep apnea. The researchers found that 2% of the patients had been diagnosed with a serious cancer. However, the distribution of cancer between the two genders was not even. 2.8% of the women had cancer, while cancer afflicted only 1.7% of the men. Most of the people with cancer were over 50 years of age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does Sleep Apnea Cause Cancer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is a clear association between women with sleep apnea and cancer. However, there is not sufficient evidence to say that sleep apnea actually causes <\/em>the cancer. The explanation for the link between them could relate to the fact that they have common risk factors, such as being overweight and smoking cigarettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, it is also possible that sleep apnea has a direct effect on cancer risk. Some researchers believe that the oxygen deprivation and fragmented sleep caused by sleep apnea can affect the health of tissues throughout the body and may contribute to the development of tumors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The risk may be higher in women than in men due to females\u2019 hormonal makeup combined with the stress caused by nighttime oxygen deprivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What You Can Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not there is a causal relationship between sleep apnea and cancer, it is certainly worth every effort to ensure that you get enough high-quality sleep each night. Even if doing so will not affect cancer risk, it is likely to have other health benefits, including improved mood, better blood pressure control, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few tips that could help women improve the quality of their sleep:<\/p>\n\n\n\n