Exploring the Link Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Heart Disease

It’s normal for your heart rate (HR) to drop while you’re sleeping. If it doesn’t drop, it could be an indicator of larger health issues. A study presented at SLEEP 2024 assessed the potential for smart beds to measure changes in HR during sleep (without needing to go to a formal sleep lab), which could be valuable for detecting cardiovascular risk.

DocWire News spoke with Gary Garcia-Molina, a study researcher and senior principal scientist at Sleep Number, about these results and how smart beds can help physicians gain a better understanding of sleep patterns in individuals with sleep apnea, which, if left untreated, can be a risk factor for heart disease.