HJAR Jan/Feb 2023

46 JAN / FEB 2023 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS DIALOGUE COLUMN UROLOGY ACCORDING TO theAmericanAcademy of Sleep Medicine, sleep apnea is a condition that impacts over 25 million adults in the U.S. It is estimated that up to 26% of Americans between 30 and 70 years of age suffer from sleep apnea. 1 Though rare cases can be caused by inter- ruptions in the signals between the brain and the muscles that control breathing — a con- dition called “central sleep apnea”— the most common type of the disorder is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Diagnosed mostly in older and over- weight adult men, OSA occurs when tis- sues in the throat relax as a person falls deeply asleep. As these structures of the throat relax, a person’s airway can become blocked, causing them to snore, gasp for air, or stop breathing altogether until they regain consciousness enough to catch their breath. In addition to disturbing their partner’s sleep, those with untreated OSA often feel groggy even after a full night’s rest, impact- ing their ability to effectively work or even leading to dangerous situations like falling asleep while driving. The all-night roller- coaster of dozing and waking while fight- ing for breath also puts considerable stress on the body, particularly the cardiovascular system (CVS). Continued stress on the CVS can lead to increased risk or development of a host of conditions when OSA is left untreated, including hypertension, coro- nary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, insulin resistance, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and more. So why is a urologist talking about sleep apnea? Because among other potentially life-changing conditions that can be caused or exacerbated by OSA, the disorder has been shown to lead to reduced production of testosterone inmen. Low testosterone can potentially lead to a constellation of sexual difficulties, including decreased libido, erec- tile dysfunction, and being too fatigued to regularly engage in sex. WhileYouWere Sleeping Don’t Snooze on the Link Between Sleep Apnea, Testosterone Deficiency, and ED