La Luz Hospital has an innovative program between Cardiology and Neurology services to detect cardiological problems among patients with sleep disorders
This Friday marks World Sleep Day, a date established by the World Sleep Day Commission of the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM), whose purpose is to draw society's attention to the problems related to sleep disorders. and promote its prevention.
According to the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), between 20 and 48% of the Spanish adult population suffers from difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep. But only less than a third of people with sleep problems seek professional help. Noise, light or the use of mobile devices play a significant role in having good quality sleep.
The motto for this year that the Spanish Sleep Society (SES) wants to convey to sleep professionals to achieve an optimal quality of life and improve global health is “Quality sleep, healthy mind, happy world.” Defending and educating the world about the importance of sleep is the objective of this organization to improve people's mood, psychomotor and academic performance.
“Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, followed by restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome, cardiorespiratory and cognitive disorders, due to excessive daytime sleepiness, characteristics that are very prevalent in the general population,” says the doctor. David Pérez Martínez, head of the Neurology service at Hospital La Luz.
Sleep apneas are one of the factors that increase the risk of vascular problems in both the heart and the brain. “There is scientific evidence that links sleep apnea with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias and stroke,” points out Dr. Roberto Martín Reyes, head of the Clinical and Interventional Cardiology service at Hospital La Luz.
In this hospital center, an innovative program has been launched between the Cardiology and Neurology services to detect cardiological problems among patients with sleep disorders. “This care circuit works bidirectionally,” says the neurologist. “Patients with heart problems are questioned about their quality of sleep in order to detect them early, and patients with sleep apnea problems are evaluated by cardiology in order to detect arrhythmias or ischemic heart disease,” says Dr. Pérez Martínez. . The objective is to establish comprehensive care for patients suffering from sleep disorders through multidisciplinary care. “This type of approach allows for the early detection of cardiological problems and reduces the risk of vascular problems,” emphasizes Martín Reyes.