Why Heart & Sleep?


Dr. Atif Sohail is a board-certified cardiologist with the knowledge and experience to treat your heart and sleep disorders along with a team of experts. Poor sleep quality is clinically proven to be a potential cause of heart disease per the American Heart Association. Find out how by checking your risk factors.

People with heart disease are 10 times more likely to have sleep disorders than the rest of the general population.

Treatment of heart disease remains incomplete without optimal treatment of sleep disorders. Stroke, Cardiac Arrest, Heart Attack and even Sudden death may occur without proper care for prevention and treatment.

Improvement in quality of life remains a major reward outcome of sleep treatment.

There is emerging scientific evidence in people with sleep apnea showing increased sympathetic drive with narrowed arteries, increased clotting and plaque enhancing chemicals, and increased insulin levels.

Although the exact cause of 10x increase of sleep apnea in heart patients is unknown, some of the following associations include:

  • Narrowed blood vessels with increased sympathetic nervous system activity
  • Increased blood-clotting chemical
  • Increased inflammation and plaque-forming factors
  • Increased insulin levels
These associations may explain high risk of:

  • Acute Heart Attack
  • Stroke
  • Unstable Blood Pressure
  • Irregular Heart Rhythm
  • Congestive Heart Failure
  • Sudden Death (according to a study, 40% of deaths are during sleep)

Am I at Risk?


Just like Heart Disease, Sleep Apnea can also be silent.

Signs and symptoms include but are not limited to: obesity, large neck, snoring, day time sleepiness, fatigue, GERD, early morning headaches, uncontrolled blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, and erectile dysfunction.

Sleeping with the Enemy:

High prevalence of Sleep Apnea is heart attack, stroke, sudden death, seizures, and myocardial infarction, among others.

Other factors with high prevalence of Sleep Apnea:

  • Uncontrolled Diabetes
  • Chronic pain medications
  • Regular alcohol use
  • Night shift workers
  • Long distance drivers
  • Athletes with energy drinks and supplement use
  • Psychiatric illness
  • Unexplained migraines, seizures, altered mental status, dizziness, memory loss, fatigue, and restless leg syndrome