{"id":660,"date":"2019-09-25T18:02:08","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T18:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coloradosleepapnea.com\/?p=660"},"modified":"2020-11-12T15:52:39","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T15:52:39","slug":"accelerated-aging-sleep-apnea-in-denver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradosleepapnea.com\/blog\/accelerated-aging-sleep-apnea-in-denver\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Sleep Apnea Make Your Body Older?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How old are you really?\nYou have a chronological age that increases with every birthday, but your body\nalso has what\u2019s called a biological age that describes its overall condition. There\nare many different factors that can change your biological age, and one of them\nis the quality of sleep you get every night. Here\u2019s why sleep\napnea<\/a> in Denver could be aging you \u2013 and what you can do to stop it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Does Sleep Apnea Affect Your Biological Age?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have sleep apnea, you\u2019ll stop breathing multiple\ntimes during the night; whenever this happens, you\u2019ll wake up for a very brief\ntime so that the flow of air can resume. If your rest keeps getting interrupted\nlike this, you won\u2019t reach the stages of deep sleep that are important for\nmaintaining good health. Unfortunately, since each awakening is so short, you\nprobably won\u2019t even remember that they happened; for this reason, sleep apnea\ncan continue for a very long time before it\u2019s treated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A study published in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found\na connection between sleep disordered breathing and epigenetic age\nacceleration. (\u201cEpigenetics\u201d studies changes in your genes that are not caused\nby changes in your DNA.) Basically, the longer you have sleep apnea, the worse\ncondition your body will be in compared to your chronological age. For example,\na lack of oxygen can cause your blood pressure to rise, which puts a strain on\nyour cardiovascular system; over time you\u2019ll become more likely to suffer from\npotentially fatal strokes or heart attacks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other long-term effects of sleep apnea could include\nobesity, an inability to concentrate, memory problems, and a decreased libido.\nThese issues will only become more severe the longer you go without treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Can You Do About Aging from Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In many cases, the effects of epigenetic aging can be\nreversed. If you\u2019re worried that sleep apnea has had a negative effect on your\nbody, your best bet is to get treatment as soon as possible. There are a few\ndifferent options you can consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n