Obstructive Sleep Apnea has become a growing concern and while others try to look for a cure, some scientists continue to study and detect the cause by it. And apparently, there is one enzyme found to be the culprit of it all. The enzyme is known as the NADPH Oxidase. This was discovered by researchers from Emory University.

Obstructive sleep apnea is stated to be a sleeping disorder which may be characterized by breaks or pauses in breathing during sleep. It has been estimated that 1 out of every 50 people may be suffering from this disorder in America. This disorder is believed to usually be treated with mechanical application of air pressure.

Researcher C. Michael Hart, professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, says that blunting the effects of sleep apnea on the blood vessel physiology could perhaps be helpful in lowering its effect on the risk of diseases.

These experts have further stated that by periodically providing less oxygen to rats in a way that simulates obstructive sleep apnea may give them pulmonary hypertension. This process of intermittently providing less oxygen is known as “chronic intermittent hypoxia.” It was further noted that chronic intermittent hypoxia compels the lung blood vessels to produce more NADPH oxidase. Therefore the rats which don’t have the NADPH oxidase are believed to be resistant to the effects of hypoxia.

(Source) Health Jockey

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