Heart Attacks and Sleep APNEA are Connected

Sleep studies and CPAP’s have come a long way!

After my father’s heart attack in 2005, would the use of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) sleeping device have prolonged his life? Possibly.

Dad underwent a sleep study in a lab after his initial heart attack. The study showed he was waking up many times during the night. To help his breathing, a CPAP was recommended but he never followed through with the use of the it. After his hospitalization in 2014, he did another sleep study at home that showed the sleep apnea had worsened.

Would using a CPAP have helped his atrial fibrillation or minimized additional, smaller heart attacks he was to suffer? Yes, according to the National Sleep Foundation. “The available evidence tells us that when you treat people with sleep apnea using CPAP, their blood pressure is not only lower at night – it’s also lower during the day. ….Moreover, people with atrial fibrillation (a common type of irregular heart beat) ….if their sleep apnea is untreated the change of recurrence goes up to 80%.” (Sleep apnea and heart disease).

Lessons Learned:

• Sleep studies no longer have to be done in sleep centers. The sleep study in 2005 required dad to spend the night at a sleep lab with electrodes and wires connected to his body. The second sleep study was done at home using a portable device that fit his wrist like a watch and connected to his fingertip. The next day I brought the machine back to his doctor for a read of the output. We followed up with a consultation several days later.
• Medicare will pay for sleep testing both in a lab and at home. At-home sleep tests cost less than a fifth, of a test done in a lab and. And at-home sleep testing is considered effective for most patients. (The cost of sleep apnea testing)
• A CPAP (sometimes called PAP) machine is considered durable medical equipment (DME), which means it may be subject to a new tax under the Affordable Care Act. Patients with Medicare are able to test PAP machines for three months, and if the results are shown to be beneficial, rent it for a period of thirteen (13) months prior to owning it.
• Talk to your insurance company on how they handle PAP reimbursement. Many insurance companies are requiring proof of compliance in PAP use before they will pay for on-going device rental, purchase or additional replacement supplies go to: The Affordable Care Act and Sleep testing

Note: Medicare rules are complex and can change. Be sure to research your particular need and discuss your situation with your doctor and Medicare.

For more articles like this visit advocate for mom and dad at: (http://advocateformomanddad.com/)