Health
Untreated sleep apnea presents 'disruptive' dangers to people's lives, including heart issues, says expert
Esther Rodriguez Villegas, a professor at Imperial College London and founder of the London-based medical technology company Acurable, is sharing common health and well-being issues that can result from sleep apnea — a problem that can be disruptive for both sufferers as well as their loved ones.
One of these risks is cardiovascular disease. The sudden and frequent drops in blood oxygen caused by sleep apnea can “put a strain on the cardiovascular system and cause increased blood pressure,” Villegas told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“If symptoms persist over a long period of time, this increases the chances of serious cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks, strokes or abdominal aortic aneurysms, to name a few,” she said.
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The “potentially serious” sleep disorder known as sleep apnea causes breathing to stop and start repeatedly during sleep, according to Mayo Clinic’s definition.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one type of sleep apnea that occurs when “throat muscles relax and block the flow of air to the lungs,” Mayo Clinic explained on its website.
Sleep apnea can be a “potentially serious” sleep disorder, according to Mayo Clinic. (iStock)
Central sleep apnea (CSA) happens when the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
And yet, while sleep apnea can affect anyone, certain factors such as excessive weight and thicker neck circumference, which can cause narrower airways, can increase the risk, according to Mayo Clinic.
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Older men are at a higher risk of sleep apnea, as well as those who consume alcohol, smoke or use sedatives or tranquilizers.
Increasing evidence suggests that the drops in oxygen are linked to years of reduction in life expectancy, the doctor noted.
The most common treatment for sleep apnea is the use of a CPAP machine that is worn as a mask. (iStock)
Diabetes can be another outcome of sleep apnea, as patients with type 2 diabetes have a “very high” prevalence of OSA, according to Villegas.
“Unfortunately, most don’t know they have obstructive sleep apnea, while recent evidence has demonstrated that untreated disease leads to significantly worse glycemic control — in other words, worse progression of their diabetes,” she said.
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Since sleep apnea “severely disrupts rest at night,” Villegas warned that the condition can impair energy and concentration levels during the day.
This can result in an increased risk of car accidents, according to the expert.
School or work performance can be at risk due to lack of daytime energy in sleep apnea sufferers, an expert said. (iStock)
“The statistics vary, but it is thought that in Europe, for example, untreated sleep apnea is the second leading cause of car accidents,” she said.
This lack of energy can also affect school or work performance, which can lead to disciplinary issues or accidents.
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“Children with sleep apnea are often found to underperform at school and are sometimes misdiagnosed with ADHD,” said Villegas.
“They are often labeled as aggressive or having behavioral issues, when in fact it is the result of untreated sleep apnea.”
Children are often misdiagnosed with ADHD due to “behavioral issues” caused by lack of sleep, an expert said. (iStock)
People with sleep apnea are also more likely to experience mental health issues, Villegas added, such as low mood, irritability, anxiety and depression.
Recognizing sleep apnea
A frequent symptom of sleep apnea is loud snoring, which is usually a clear warning sign for partners or family members in the home.
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But there are some hidden sleep apnea symptoms that could be overlooked, Villegas warned.
These can include waking up frequently at night; waking in the morning with a headache, dry mouth, or sore throat; or feeling fatigued, irritable or in a bad mood during the day.
Loud snoring is a frequent symptom of sleep apnea, but there are other less obvious symptoms that can be overlooked. (iStock)
Other sneaky symptoms of sleep apnea can include night sweats and erectile dysfunction, Villegas said.
Sleep apnea in children can show up as bad behavior, struggles at school, or sleeping in unusual positions, like with their neck extended.
Treating the condition
The most common treatment for sleep apnea is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which Villegas described as a “mask worn overnight that pushes pressurized air into the windpipe to keep it open while sleeping.”
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Alternative treatments include a variety of mandibular advancement devices (MADs), which hold the tongue and jaw in the correct position to prevent airway blockages.
While CPAP machines are a common treatment, making lifestyle changes can also improve or eliminate symptoms of sleep apnea, one expert said. (iStock)
Nose, throat and mouth surgery could also help correct these blockages, Villegas said, while tonsillectomies are common in children.
In many cases, lifestyle changes such as weight loss, reducing alcohol intake and quitting smoking can improve or eliminate symptoms entirely, Villegas said.
Approximately 30 million people have sleep apnea in the U.S. — yet only six million are officially diagnosed, according to the American Medical Association.
For those who believe they may have sleep apnea, Mayo Clinic recommends seeking out a health care provider for examination and treatment.
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Novo Nordisk to slash Wegovy, Ozempic list prices
Board certified rheumatologist Dr. Mahsa Tehrani discusses Novo Nordisk’s decision to dramatically cut the U.S. list prices for its popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy on ‘America Reports.’
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Millions of Medicare beneficiaries struggling with obesity could soon see the cost of weight-loss drugs plummet, as a new federal pilot program launching July 1 expands access to GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for eligible seniors.
Through a new trial called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, the federal government is now offering a selection of the brand-name medications to certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for $50 a month, The Associated Press reported.
The covered medications include drugmaker Eli Lilly’s Foundayo tablets and Zepbound KwikPens and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injections and tablets, all of which have been FDA-approved for weight loss, according to the report.
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The temporary program is set to run until the end of 2027.
This is the first time GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) will be covered by insurance when used solely for weight loss.
A new federal pilot program launching July 1 expands access to GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for eligible seniors. (iStock)
Prior to this new Medicare pilot, seniors who wanted to access GLP-1s for obesity alone paid about $1,350-$1,650 per month for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and about $1,086 monthly for Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide). However, both manufacturers offered some cash-pay options that significantly reduced those prices for eligible patients.
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There are some parameters surrounding the coverage — older adults must have had a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher when they started GLP-1 therapy, or a BMI of 27 or higher alongside another health condition, such as a past heart attack or stroke or prediabetes.
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Those who already have insurance coverage for other diseases, such as diabetes and sleep apnea, are not eligible for the program.
Through a new trial called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, the federal government is now offering a selection of the brand-name medications to certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for $50 a month. (iStock)
There are more than 70 million Americans currently enrolled in Medicare, 10 million of whom are overweight or obese, according to Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at the healthcare research nonprofit KFF.
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“For many older Americans living with obesity, this is a moment they and their families have been waiting for,” Jamey Millar, Novo Nordisk’s executive vice president of U.S. operations, said in a press release.
“The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program offers a new, affordable path to an FDA-approved treatment that was previously not covered.”
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said he hopes the program can help his agency collect data to potentially work toward longer-term coverage, while providing immediate relief to cash-strapped older Americans, AP reported.
“The sheer cost of these medications is a huge barrier to access,” he said in a call with reporters. “That ends today.”
Prior to this new Medicare pilot, seniors who wanted to access GLP-1s for obesity alone paid about $1,350-$1,650 per month for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and about $1,086 monthly for Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide). (iStock)
Oz told reporters that CMS plans to “carefully track participation and outcomes” to see whether an extension of the Bridge program or another solution is the best way to move forward. He told AP a federal law permanently allowing the coverage is “not essential right now” but something “for Congress to debate amongst themselves.”
“We can’t decide what’s going to happen long term with Bridge until we see some of the data,” he said, adding that there are ongoing talks with drug companies to lower costs.
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One potential concern is that older patients tend to have more adverse effects to medication in general , according to Dr. Micah Eimer, a clinical assistant professor of cardiology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“Specifically, in our research, older patients on blood pressure medications were more likely to experience hypotensive side effects, such as fainting and dizziness, after starting a GLP-1,” he said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Federal health officials are attempting to track down the source of a microscopic parasite that triggers prolonged gastrointestinal illness, as domestic cases begin to climb for the summer season.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 145 cases of cyclosporiasis across 17 states as of mid-June 2026, all linked to infections acquired in the U.S.
The culprit is Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite known to cause cyclosporiasis.
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The hallmark symptom of the infection is watery, often “explosive” diarrhea that can last for weeks or even months if left untreated, the CDC says.
There is currently no evidence of a single, multistate Cyclospora outbreak linking all cases. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)
Other symptoms include severe abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and significant weight loss.
The official outbreak season for the parasite runs from May 1 through Aug. 31, a window where warmer temperatures historically coincide with a spike in infections, according to the CDC.
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Cases have cropped up in states ranging from Texas to Alaska. New York has been hit the hardest so far, reporting between 31 and 80 cases, followed by Texas and Illinois, which have each reported between 11 and 30 cases.
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While the infection can sometimes clear up on its own, it frequently requires antibiotics. Out of the 145 confirmed cases, 20 patients have required hospitalization, per the CDC.
While the infection can sometimes clear up on its own, it frequently requires antibiotics. (iStock)
No deaths have yet been reported. Patients range from 5 to 86 years old, though the median age is 42, and women make up 61% of the reported cases, data shows.
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The CDC, alongside the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials, is actively investigating several multi-state clusters, but they have yet to find a cause behind the spread.
Officials urge patients with symptoms to seek help from a medical professional. (iStock)
“There is currently no evidence of a single, multistate Cyclospora outbreak linking all cases,” the CDC noted in its surveillance report.
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The CDC advises anyone experiencing symptoms of cyclosporiasis to contact a healthcare provider for testing and treatment.
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