Sleep Apnea and Metabolic Syndrome: A Bidirectional Vicious Cycle

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts due to airway blockage, and it affects health by forming a bidirectional causal link with metabolic syndrome, worsening risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke.

  • Disorder with repeated breathing stops during sleep due to airway blockage, leading to fragmented rest.
  • Cluster of conditions including hypertension, hyperglycemia, obesity, and dyslipidemia.
ClaimScientific ObservationSource
Sleep apnea increases metabolic syndrome riskBidirectional causal associations via genetic analysisDan Yeung et al. (2024), Frontiers in Endocrinology
Metabolic syndrome raises sleep apnea riskReinforcing vicious cycle confirmed by two-sample Mendelian randomizationDan Yeung et al. (2024), Frontiers in Endocrinology
Cycle worsens heart disease and diabetesContributes to stroke and overall health declineDan Yeung et al. (2024), Frontiers in Endocrinology