It is often thought that people who “fall asleep” are healthier. However, according to the latest report of the “Voice of America” health report column, a new study found that “fall asleep” people should be beware of heart stroke. Experts say that it generally takes 15-30 minutes to fall asleep, too long to fall asleep for “difficulty sleeping type insomnia”, and too short to fall asleep may also be the body issued a health alarm, many of these people are accompanied by sleep apnea problems. Scientists say that there is at least 10 seconds between breaths even if “sleep apnea”, during which the nervous system will be damaged, and the body’s blood oxygen saturation will be reduced and other problems. The disease will reduce the quality of sleep, affecting the next day’s work and life, more terrible is to induce stroke, high blood pressure, heart failure and heart attack and other serious problems. A survey by the Mayo Clinic found that obstructive, central and mixed forms accounted for 84%, 0.4% and 15% of sleep apnea cases, respectively. A recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute found that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes at least double the risk of stroke in middle-aged and older adults, especially men. The more severe the sleep apnea condition, the greater the risk of stroke. Patients with moderate and severe sleep apnea have a 3-fold higher risk of stroke than the general population. This result held true when weight, high blood pressure, race, smoking and diabetes were taken into account. The new study also found for the first time that sleep apnea increases the risk of stroke in women. The new study involved nine medical research centers in the United States and 5,422 participants over the age of 40 with no history of stroke, including 2,462 men and 2,960 women, said Dr. Susan B. Schuling, who led the new study. At the start of the study, participants were tested at home for sleep apnea problems and the severity of their condition. Researchers followed the participants for an average of nine years. The results found that 193 people suffered strokes during the study period, with 85 and 108 strokes in men and women, respectively. After excluding multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors, the scientists found that the association between sleep apnea and stroke risk was more pronounced in men. In women, stroke risk was only associated with severe sleep apnea. The researchers noted that this may be related to the lower age of initial onset of sleep apnea in men. Recommendations from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine include maintaining an ideal body weight; avoiding alcohol before bedtime; avoiding sleeping pills; using a side sleeping position; and using some medication to reduce nasal congestion symptoms if necessary. However, severe sleep apnea requires active treatment, which includes: sleeping with a mouth guard, surgical treatment, transnasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), etc. People who are overweight or obese need to lose weight to reduce the risk of sleep apnea.