3 imperatives to transform health care in America. You're invited to watch it live

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Certain factors put you at increased risk of central sleep apnea:

  • Sex. Males are more likely to develop central sleep apnea than are females.
  • Age. Central sleep apnea is more common among older adults, possibly because they may have coexisting medical conditions or sleep patterns that are more likely to cause central sleep apnea.
  • Heart disorders. People with atrial fibrillation or congestive heart failure are at greater risk of central sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea may be present in up to 40 percent of people with congestive heart failure.
  • Stroke or brain tumor. These conditions can impair the brain's ability to regulate breathing.
  • High altitude. Sleeping at an altitude higher than you're accustomed to may increase your risk of sleep apnea. High-altitude sleep apnea is no longer a problem when you return to a lower altitude.
  • Opioid use. Opioids, such as morphine, oxycodone and codeine, increase the risk of central sleep apnea.
  • CPAP. Some people with obstructive sleep apnea develop central sleep apnea while on treatment with CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure. This is known as complex sleep apnea because it is a combination of obstructive and central sleep apneas. For some people, complex sleep apnea goes away with continued use of a CPAP device. Other people may be treated with a different kind of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy.
Complications Causes

  • See Also

    • Hand Scheduled
    Section Focus
    Related Links
    Related Guides
    Children
    Parent
  • Sleep apnea
References
  1. Badr MS. Central sleep apnea syndrome: Risk factors, clinical presentation, and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index/html. Accessed April 11, 2011.
  2. NINDS sleep apnea information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sleep_apnea/sleep_apnea.htm. Accessed April 10, 2011.
  3. Javaheri S. Central sleep apnea. Clinics in Chest Medicine. 2010;31:235.
  4. Ropper AH, et al. Sleep and its abnormalities. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams & Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=54. Accessed April 8, 2011.
  5. Malhotra A. What is central sleep apnea? Respiratory Care. 2010;55:1168.
  6. Badr MS. Central sleep apnea syndrome: Pathogenesis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index/html. Accessed April 11, 2011.
  7. Budhiraja R. Sleep-disordered breathing and cardiovascular disorders. Respiratory Care. 2010;55:1322.
  8. Collop N. Portable monitoring in obstructive sleep apnea in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index/html. Accessed April 11, 2011.
  9. Millman RP. Polysomnography in obstructive sleep apnea in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index/html. Accessed April 11, 2011.
  10. Your guide to healthy sleep. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.pdf. Accessed April 9, 2011.
  11. Central sleep apnea. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/sec05/ch061/ch061d.html. Accessed April 12, 2011.
  12. Badr MS. Central sleep apnea: Treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index/html. Accessed April 11, 2011.
  13. Hastings PC, et al. Adaptive servo-ventilation in heart failure patients with sleep apnea: A real world study. International Journal of Cardiology. 2010;139:17.
  14. Randerath WJ, et al. Combined adaptive servo-ventilation and automatic positive airway pressure (anticyclic modulated ventilation) in co-existing obstructive and central sleep apnea syndrome and periodic breathing. Sleep Medicine. 2009;10:898.
  15. Ono H, et al. Sleep apnea syndrome: Central sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension worsened during treatment with auto-CPAP, but improved by adaptive servo-ventilation. Internal Medicine. 2010;49:415.
  16. Olson EJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 15, 2011.
DS00995 June 16, 2011

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger