(HealthDay News) -- There's no routine blood test to detect sleep apnea, and it may well be missed during a routine medical visit.

But left untreated, sleep apnea can raise a person's risk for significant health risks, according to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Those risks include:

  • High blood pressure,heart attack, stroke, obesity and diabetes.
  • Heart failure.
  • Heartarrhythmia, the medical term for irregular heartbeat.
  • Driving accidents.