The Breathless Burden: How Sleep Apnea and Smoking Wear Down the Heart May 7, 2025 When we think about heart health, we usually focus on things like eating well, exercising, and managing stress. While those habits are important, there are two other major players that are often overlooked – smoking and sleep apnea. Both can quietly strain your heart, especially when they go hand-in-hand. We already know that smoking damages the heart and blood vessels. It raises blood pressure, reduces oxygen levels, and increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke.1 But what many people don’t realise is that smoking also affects how well you sleep. Smoking can inflame and irritate the tissues in your airway, making it harder to breathe freely at night.2 This can increase your chances of developing obstructive sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder that interrupts your breathing throughout the night.2 Sleep apnea is more than just snoring. People with this condition stop breathing for short periods while they sleep—sometimes hundreds of times a night. Each pause puts stress on the body, and over time this can lead to serious heart problems, including high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and even heart failure.3 What’s even more concerning is that smoking makes sleep apnea worse, and untreated sleep apnea can make heart disease more likely. It's a dangerous cycle that many people don’t know they’re caught in. In fact, smokers are up to three times more likely to have sleep apnea than non-smokers.4 The good news? There’s a lot you can do. Quitting smoking can reduce inflammation in the airways and may ease sleep apnea symptoms. Even better, your heart starts to benefit almost immediately. Just 24 hours after quitting, your risk of a heart attack begins to drop.5 Within weeks, your circulation and lung function improve—and your sleep might improve too.6 If you often feel tired during the day, snore loudly, or wake up with headaches, it’s worth talking to your doctor. A simple sleep study can confirm whether sleep apnea is a concern, and there are effective treatments like CPAP therapy that can make a big difference to both your sleep and your heart. This Heart Health Week, take a moment to look at the bigger picture. It’s not just about eating less salt or going for a walk—it’s also about breathing easier, sleeping better, and giving your heart a real chance to thrive. How Sove CPAP Clinic Can Help Founded in 2008, Sove CPAP Clinic has grown to become a leading provider of respiratory and sleep services and products in Australia, with over 60 clinics nationwide. Our comprehensive clinical team includes Respiratory & Sleep Specialists, Sleep Technologists, and CPAP Consultants, ensuring that you receive comprehensive and personalised care. All medical procedures, including sleep studies and lung function testing, are bulk billed to all Australians, with minimal wait time. If you would like to speak to a Respiratory & Sleep Physician, book a bulk-billed sleep study, or seek advice for your sleep apnea, you can reach us at 1300 76 29 39 or info@thecpapclinic.com.au. ALWAYS FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. CPAP is used for Obstructive Sleep Apnea treatment. When considering whether a sleep study or CPAP is right for you, speak to your doctor. Medicare criteria and T&C’s apply. Citations 1. Heart Foundation. “Smoking and Your Heart | Heart Foundation.” Heartfoundation.org.au, 2021, www.heartfoundation.org.au. 2. Krishnan, Vidya, et al. “Where There Is Smoke…There Is Sleep Apnea.” Chest, vol. 146, no. 6, Dec. 2014, pp. 1673–1680, PMC4251622, https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.14-0772. 3. Newsom, Rob. “Is Sleep Apnea Connected to Heart Disease?” Sleep Foundation, 5 Feb. 2021, www.sleepfoundation.org. 4. Mayo Clinic. “Sleep Apnea - Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, 6 Apr. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org. 5. “MGM HEALTHCARE.” Mgmhealthcare.in, 2021, mgmhealthcare.in. Accessed 6 May 2025. 6. Better Health Channel. “What to Expect When You Quit Smoking.” Vic.gov.au, 2012, www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au.
