Clinical research from the Mayo Clinic shows that sleep apnea increases your risk of sudden death by heart attack. While apnea has always been serious, this new research emphasizes how important it is to treat apnea.

In a study of about 11,000 adults, researchers found that sleep apnea was the second biggest risk factors for sudden death among heart disease patients. (The second trait was an age of 60 years or older.)

Sleep apnea, a relatively common condition, causes the oxygen levels in the blood to decrease. This, in turn, puts a strain on the heart while it tries to pump adequate amounts of oxygen to the brain and body.

Due to the dangerously decreased oxygen levels, the blood vessels alter in a way that may lead to heart disease in the patient. Sleep apnea is being considered a risk factor that ranks with smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

There is a common thread. If you dont get oxygen to the blood, the whole body and brain start to shut down. But with apnea, your throat closes down, suffocating yourself and starving your body of oxygen.

All the more reason to get the most widely prescribed form of sleep apnea treatment: CPAP (continuous positive air pressure). CPAP therapy not only can save your life ” it can eliminate daytime drowsiness, alleviate depression, even help you lose weight.

Medical research points to how important it is to regularly use CPAP therapy. However, for many patients the nightly use of a CPAP mask connected to a CPAP machine is not an easy habit to make. That is why the national compliance average is only 50%.

Luckily there are three time-proven strategies to increasing your CPAP compliance and therefore your chances of improved health and long life:

1. For best results, only use doctor recommended, quality CPAP equipment. Doctors recommend three manufacturers: ResMed, Fisher & Paykel, and Respironics. These brands are known to invest millions in R&D every year to ensure health and safety for the customer. There are risks associated with the lower quality manufacturers, in particular the ones from China. Before you waste your money or risk your life, ask your doctor about any brand other than the above three.

2. Choose wisely when selecting a CPAP supplier. Avoid the dubious websites that sell grey-market CPAP equipment. You might end-up with a refurbished CPAP machine that just looks like new, but doesnt have warranty coverage or isnt even sterilized. (Many used machines on the grey market are from patients in nursing homes who have passed away, possibly from pneumonia or other respiratory diseases.) Be safe and smart: use a CPAP supplier that is certified by the National Apnea Association and/or is a ResMed Preferred Internet Provider.

3. Get help! A certified CPAP coach will help you with any problems that arise with your CPAP equipment. Your coach will save you time and keep you on track by helping you with using, cleaning, and maintaining your CPAP. Many studies have shown that CPAP chronic care or coaching increases patients probability of success from the national average of only 50% to over 90%. Best of all, some CPAP websites offer coaching for free to their customers.