The Link Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Lung Cancer

It’s no secret that obstructive sleep apnea (also known as OSA) is very disruptive to your overall health and can cause a number of health issues. One of the many health issues caused or exacerbated by OSA is lung cancer. If you are suffering from OSA or suspect you are, it is important to get treatment started as soon as possible so that you can reduce your risk of serious health complications. Keep reading to learn more about the link between OSA and lung cancer and what you can do today to mitigate your risk.

How Are OSA and Lung Cancer Related?

A study performed by the Korean National Health Information Database showed the incidence of newly diagnosed lung cancer. A total of 181,070 adult patients newly diagnosed with OSA between 2011 and 2018 were matched with those without OSA by up to 1:5 propensity score matching based on age and sex. In a follow-up, 2614 incident cases of lung cancer were identified. The incidence rate was 39.51 per 100,000 person-years in the OSA group and 24.93 per 100,000 person-years in the control (non-OSA) group.

What does it mean?

• If you have OSA, you have an increased risk of getting lung cancer
• Women with sleep apnea had a higher risk
• Older adults with sleep apnea had an even higher risk

Other Health Issues Caused by OSA

Lung cancer isn’t the only health risk associated with untreated, unmanaged, or ongoing OSA. Some of the other health issues include:

• Cognitive decline
• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• Strokes
• High blood pressure
• Heart attacks
• Depression
• Decreased focus
• Decreased sex drive
• Coronary artery disease
• Excessive daytime fatigue

OSA Treatment to Reduce Your Risk of Lung Cancer

If you have obstructive sleep apnea and aren’t receiving treatment for it, or are receiving treatment from a CPAP machine, there are better ways to get a good night’s sleep and decrease your risk for serious health issues.

You do not need to sign up for a lifetime of being chained to a CPAP machine. The Vivos Method for sleep apnea treatment can be used for those suffering from severe OSA and even pediatric sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea can be treated at its root cause for long-term success in as little as one year. A CPAP machine is just a bandaid that forces pressurized air through your airways and doesn’t actually correct the issue you’re suffering from. If you’re ready for better, long-term sleep apnea results, we are here for you.

There’s no such thing as one size fits all. We want to consider as many of our patients’ unique circumstances and objectives as possible to serve them as well as we can. We will work with you at your speed and at your comfort level to get you the best possible results.

For more information, visit us at AdvancedSleepandTMJSolutions.com!