What is Sleep Apnea? Is It Hereditary?

Two decades ago, I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. My apnea was treated with positional therapy discussed at bottom of the page.  I know my deceased father suffered severe sleep apnea also( very loud snoring) although he was not officially diagnosed, since sleep disorders clinics had not been available in his lifetime . My oldest son has severe sleep apnea that required him to use the CPAP(4) machine. Today I just learned my oldest daughter is also suffering from severe apnea. So is this disorder inherited?  Here are three answers from the three websites. 

Answer from the Website 1:  The inheritance pattern of obstructive sleep apnea is unclear. Overall, the risk of developing this condition is about 50 percent greater for first-degree relatives (such as siblings or children) of affected individuals as compared to the general public.

Answer from Website 2: While there are many factors that can put someone at risk for sleep apnea, there is a strong possibility that sleep apnea can be hereditary. If you have a serious condition like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or an endocrine or metabolic disorder, there is a significant chance that you may also be suffering from sleep apnea. Even lifestyle factors like smoking and using alcohol or sedatives or opioids can increase the risk of sleep apnea. Having a family member with sleep apnea could increase your chance of developing or having the disorder.

Answer from Website 3: Published in Sleep Medicine Review, researchers accumulated data that suggested there is a strong genetic factor for OSA. In fact, they estimated that 40 percent of the variance in apnea hypopnea index (AHI), which measures the severity of the disease, can be attributed to familial factors. The group theorized that hereditary factors such as body fat distribution, face and skull structure (craniofacial) and nerve control of upper airway muscles may be found in the DNA of individuals with OSA. Hence, the risk for developing OSA may be inherited.

Other studies have also shown the connection between AHI and genetics. For example, Caucasians, African Americans and the older population demonstrate about a third of the variance in AHI that can be attributed to genetics. In the largest family-based analysis, the Cleveland Family Study concluded that there can be up to 35 percent variance in sleep apnea severity due to heredity. And in a study conducted in Scotland, researchers discovered that in relatives of non-obese OSA patients there was an increased frequency of abnormal breathing during sleep.

Due to the knowledge that there is a high risk for people with OSA to develop life-threatening illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes, the medical community has tried to delve deeper into whether or not sleep apnea is hereditary. In Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine, a study appeared that suggested that OSA develops as a result of multiple gene-gene interactions.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea? Obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) is a condition in which individuals experience pauses in breathing (apnea) during sleep, which are associated with partial or complete closure of the throat (upper airway). Complete closure can lead to apnea while partial closure allows breathing but decrease the intake of oxygen (hypopnea).

Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea may experience interrupted sleep with frequent awakenings and loud snoring. Repeated pauses in breathing lead to episodes of lower-than-normal oxygen levels (hypoxemia) and a buildup of carbon dioxide (hypercapnia) in the bloodstream. Interrupted and poor quality sleep can lead to daytime sleepiness and fatigue, impaired attention and memory, headaches, depression, and sexual dysfunction. Daytime sleepiness leads to a higher risk of motor vehicle accidents in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is also associated with an increased risk of developing insulin resistance, which is an inability to regulate blood sugar levels effectively; high blood pressure (hypertension); heart disease; and stroke.

• (1)https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/obstructive-sleep-apnea#definition 
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• (2)https://www.resmed.com/us/en/blog/about-sleep-apnea/is-sleep-apnea-hereditary.html?b 
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• (3)http://curemysleepapnea.com/sleepsource/2014/01/29/sleep-apnea-hereditary/ 
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• The standard treatment for OSA is to wear a mask or device called CPAP.  If CPAP is refused by the Patient ( like me) there are other options listed in the following site:
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• (4) https://www.aastweb.org/blog/5-alternative-sleep-apnea-treatment-options
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• The standard treatment is a device called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) that provides a continuous jet of air to the airway as the person breathes, which helps to keep the throat from narrowing during sleep. Positional therapy is an intervention that helps to keep the person on their side during sleep.

  *(Positional therapy for obstructive sleep apnea - ...

  
  

  Positional therapy is a behavioral strategy to treat positional sleep apnea. Some people have sleep apnea primarily when sleeping on their back. This is called the “supine” position. Their breathing returns to normal when they sleep on their side.

  
  

  https://www.cochranelibrary.com › doi › 14651858.CD010990.pub2 › full
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