Poor sleep might harm kidneys, worsen hypertension, study suggests

Lack of good sleep due to obstructive sleep apnea may be a gateway to kidney disease and resistant hypertension, a new study suggests.

Findings from the Ibadan Cardiovascular and Renal Event In People With Chronic Kidney Disease (CRECKID) Study indicated that obstructive sleep apnea may well be an important risk factor for chronic kidney disease and resistant hypertension.

The researchers demonstrated that obstructive sleep apnea is prevalent among 349 patients with chronic kidney disease and hypertension that were enrolled for the study.

The 2019 study published in the West African Journal of Medicine said moderate to severe risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was observed in 51.4 per cent of patients with chronic kidney disease, 58.5 per cent of hypertensive and 17.3 per cent of apparently healthy participants.

Also, male participants in the study were found more likely than female patients to have moderate and high OSA risk. Compared with other groups, chronic kidney disease patients had the highest blood pressure during usual daily life.

• Kidney disease increases risk of diabetes, study shows

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a growing problem in the world with important negative health implication. It causes breathing to be interrupted or stopped for more than 10 seconds while the individual is in a deep sleep.

These non-breathing intervals are called apneas. Patients with sleep apnea often snore heavily. The snores continue until breathing is interrupted or stops, which signals an apnea.

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Their physical and mental health can contribute to their sleep problems.

Experts say the reduced sleep and diminished kidney function might be the result of medical conditions that affect kidney function, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

They declared that the body’s natural rhythms, or so-called circadian clock, might also play a role. The kidney is timed to work differently during the night than during the day because the demands on the body are different.

There’s a wealth of research suggesting that sleep apnea and high blood pressure are a dangerous pair. Research also shows that high blood pressure, often referred to as the “silent killer,” can cause sleep apnea or worsen breathing in patients already affected by sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea and high blood pressure have both been linked to significantly increased risk for serious complications, such as stroke and heart attack.