Sleep Apnea Carries With It Various Other Serious Health Problems Sleep apnea is not something to be taken lightly and is a condition that is not going to disappear on its own in time. In fact sleep apnea is classified as being a “progressive disease” which means that just like cancer, diabetes and heart disease it worsens with time. There is a lot of discussion amongst doctors over the effect that sleep apnea has on other medical conditions. Having said this, there is a clear link between sl