We are happy to announce the opening of the Arizona Cardiac Sleep Facility (ACSF) in Prescott. It is the first cardiac-based sleep study facility in Yavapai County and is designed to provide services for residents throughout the county. Sleep studies at ACSF include an EKG and heart health test related to diabetes and obesity using the latest technologies, including industry-approved cardiac markers. Only a cardiac-based facility can offer sleep-based tests with cardiac markers as part of an apnea study.
This is critical because sleep apnea left undiagnosed and untreated increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes up to 300 percent and may reduce life expectancy up to 15 years. Our unique cardiac-based attribute ensures a more comprehensive medical evaluation of both potential apnea disorders and related heart health issues. It allows our patients to better understand their treatment and management options while achieving optimum wellness through aggressive preventive measures.
With sleep apnea, muscles that control the upper airway relax during sleep. When these muscles relax too much, the airway will narrow slightly and may become blocked, causing people with apnea to stop breathing for 10 seconds or more. Depending on the severity of sleep apnea, this pattern can be repeated over 100 times throughout the night, placing undue stress on your heart and brain. This condition is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
A second type of apnea is called Central Sleep Apnea. This apnea generally is silent. It does not involve snoring, but can be just as damaging to the cardiovascular and neurological systems.
People with apnea forfeit a good night’s sleep, causing extreme fatigue during the day. Apnea can affect both work and personal relationships and is responsible for a number of work-related and auto accidents. Annually, there are approximately 40,000 premature deaths related to sleep apnea, including accidents resulting from apnea-related fatigue.
Statistics suggest that one in three adults over the age of 55 have sleep apnea. Anyone can have apnea including children as young as two years of age. Data also demonstrates that 90 percent of women who have sleep apnea are undiagnosed, a major concern since heart disease is the number one killer for women. The majority of the 25 million people with sleep apnea are undiagnosed.
The most common treatment for OSA is CPAP therapy, forced breathing during sleep that keeps the airway open and all but eliminates episodes when a person stops breathing. However, many people cannot tolerate CPAP and similar therapies, especially people who are claustrophobic. For this reason, ACSF works with local dentist Dr. J.C. Goodwin, whose focus is dental sleep apnea therapy, to offer oral appliances as a potential option.
Our sleep rooms resemble a home-like environment to ensure a patient’s comfort, which reduces anxiety, resulting in improved test results and potentially eliminating the need for re-testing. Sleep studies can be scheduled nightly, including Sunday.
As the medical director of ACSF, I am a board certified sleep medicine and cardiovascular physician. This allows me to analyze test data in-house, which expedites the process and enables us to begin therapy sooner for those diagnosed with apnea. Also, our sleep technologists are certified and registered, bringing a higher level of care to our sleep study patients. QCBN
By Stephen Stuart, M.D.
Stephen Stuart, M.D. is board certified in Sleep & Cardiovascular Medicine and the medical director of the Arizona Cardiac Sleep Facility. ACSF cardiac-based sleep studies are covered by Medicare and most private insurance plans. For more information, please call our center at 928-441-1117 or visit our website, www.azcardiacsleep.com.
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