Sleep apnea can be hereditary.

A person suffering from sleep apnea is seven (7) times more likely to have a car accident.

Some drugs like pain relievers and sleeping pills can increase the symptoms of sleep apnea.

Alcohol increases the symptoms of sleep apnea.

The acronym CPAP comes from the USA and means: "Continuous positive airway pressure". Its French equivalent mostly used in Europe is: PPC and it means: Pression positive continue.

Hypertension

More than 37% of the people suffering from sleep apnea suffer from hypertension, which increases the risks of heart disease. 1 Sjostrom et al. Prevalence of sleep apnea and snoring in hypertensive men: a population based study. Thorax 2002;57:602-607

83% of the people who still suffer from hypertension after a medical treatment consisting of at least three drugs also suffer from severe sleep apnea. 2 Logan at al. High prevalence of unrecognized sleep apnea in drug-resistant hypertension. J Hypertens 201;19:2271-227

Strokes

Almost 70% of the people who had a stroke suffer from sleep apnea. 3 Bassetti et al. Sleep apnea in acute cerebrovascular diseases: final report on 128 patients. Sleep 1999;22:217-223

Heart disease

A person suffering from untreated sleep apnea is five (5) times more likely to develop a coronary heart disease caused by the additional work the heart has to do.

A person suffering from sleep apnea is seven (7) times more likely to have a car accident. 4 Young et al. Sleep-disordered breathing and motor vehicle accidents in a population-based sample of employed adults. Sleep 1997;8:608-613

Diabetes

More than 50% of type 2 diabetics suffer from sleep apnea.

Obesity

40% of all obese people suffer from sleep apnea.

A neck measuring more than 17 inches (43 cm) for men and 16 inches (41 cm) for women increases the likelihood of suffering from sleep apnea.