Thanks to OP for posting this information. It brings me some comfort to know that he passed away peacefully.

Ryan's dad just posted this on twitter

https://twitter.com/mauleace/status/355318614804537344

Looks like it was sleep apnea

@crusader8463: Yes, obesity is a major risk factor for sleep apnea. But, there are many not so heavy folks with undiagnosed sleep apnea. I'd you snore, have fatigue, stop sleeping at night, get screened by a sleep doctor. In some cases, obstructive sleep apnea is only part of the story. Checkout the sleep apnea forum at the link below.

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/

Eat a tapeworm, it works wonders. Better yet start a coke habit.

Ryan's dad has a few minutes ago all but confirmed that sleep apnea was the cause of death.

@taswell Sleep Apnea is a serious health issue. If you snore, fatigue, stop breathing at night, get screened by a sleep DR,

https://twitter.com/mauleace/statuses/355318614804537344

@mauleace1:

I read up on it about 6 months ago when I started waking up just on the brink of sleep gasping for air, sort of like a panic attack. It was either Apnea or stress, I decided it was probably stress seeing as the link between Apnea and obesity, i'm considered underweight so dismissed apnea.

Gonna get checked out soon to get a proper doctors opinion.

Maybe this whole ordeal can save a few lives, if not.. improve some peoples lives in the long run.

Thanks for signing up and giving us some closure Mr Davis

Juice is mostly sugar, so that definitely doesn't sound healthy.

(Still better than all the coke I'm drinking though... I'll participate in that "Get Fit" thread if someone creates it).

You supplement that by performing light exercises. Brisk walks are good enough to stimulate conversion of sugar into energy.

This is good enough for me. I just feel better knowing he didn't die in a fiery car crash or something. Don't need to know the particulars.

I have sleep apnea as well and use a CPAP.

NFL Player and former Carolina Panther, Reggie White, also had sleep apnea and it is indeed how he died.

Sorry for the double post, but I had to say this;

IF sleep apnea was the cause, that makes his death even sadder, because that death is pretty much totally avoidable if you are wearing the CPAP while you sleep.

@retrometal: I read it can weaken the heart over time though, heart not getting enough oxygen = thin heart muscles.

Agreed, complications arose from Sleep Apnea, or something along those lines. Don't need or want to know the exact details. RIP.

That is just the most heartbreaking fucking tweet, but something tells me that there is some dark-ass, macabre humor to be had there.

Remember, the candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long. Its all risk/reward. No doubt you do things every day that put your life at risk. But you, consciously, or unconsciously weigh the risk/reward and decide that the reward is worth the risk. Smoking, Driving- anywhere, even just going outside. There are all risks involved.

You can not avoid death, you can dodge it you can put it off, but eventually you fail the saving throw. Some sooner then others.

it's crazy to see how many people have sleep apnea. I was also diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea 2-3 years ago. I was about 28 years old and 5'9", 195 lbs when i was diagnosed (currently in the 180's.) I always thought of sleep apnea as an old, fat person disease but it's actually much more common than i thought and isn't always attributed to your weight. Also, it's nothing to be taken lightly as it can lead to serious medical issues like heart trouble. Sorry such a great guy had to be taken by something like this.

That tweet where he says '' ... it's not like i'm gonna die but C'MON. Vacation!... '' Damn. He did die.

there you go..

.but you know what, its damm respectable that ryan didnt let it get to him at all and lived to the fullest

@randomhero666: Obstructive sleep apnea leads to pulmonary hypertension - high blood pressure specifically in the arteries that run from the right side of the heart to the lungs. This higher pressure makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the lungs, so the heart muscles actually enlarge to overcome this pressure. Eventually the heart cannot keep up and a person goes into heart failure.

Sleep apnea is a horrible thing that goes undiagnosed in way too many people. Any of you guys who snore chronically, wake up gasping for air, or just feel exhausted all the time; please go get tested. A CPAP can be difficult to adjust to, and the mask may require semi-frequent refitting, but it's far better than the alternative.

@balki_bartokomous: correct me if im wrong as you seem like you know your stuff very well, but ive heard stuff like valerian and exercise can fight back sleep apnea big time.

is this true?

@mrfluke: valerian root is a naturopathic cure for insomnia, but I don't think it's used for sleep apnea. Exercise can definitely help if your weight is contributing to the obstruction, but there are lots of very in shape people who also have OSA.

@balki_bartokomous: but i guess everyone's different right? as in for some exercise can greatly combat it. while it wont do a thing?

because man, re-reading up on it, it truly sounds like the worst if it cant be combated back with exercise, as the other alternatives ive heard people say are either the CPAP or surgery

My dad has sleep apnea and uses a cpap machine. This news has me thinking i should get myself checked out. I don't have trouble sleeping but i've noticed i have trouble breathing through my nose every now and then.

I'm 27, not clinically overweight(few extra pounds) and have history with asthma.

@jedted: for what it worth, ryan's dad and Ryan's wife are HIGHLYencouraging people to get checked out.

Fuck. I have sleep apnea. I remember the year or so before I went to go get checked I was miserable, walking around like a zombie. I remember vividly that I asked my mom to go to a doctor after I fell asleep with an Xbox controller in my hand. Now I sleep with the machine, but it caused severe memory loss from that time and I still get recurring headaches.

I can't believe Ryan was as put together as he was considering what he must have been going through in the past few months for it to get this bad. I can't help but think that in the last few Unprofessional Fridays when he left right after his segment, it might have been because of fatigue, I know I did shit like that when I was suffering.

But yea, anyone who even thinks they have a remote chance of having this should get checked out. It's a horrible thing to go through, and it's hard to know you're even going through anything until it starts damaging you.

He fell asleep during a recent UF didn't he?

My dad has sleep apnea. I probably have sleep apnea. I'm getting close to Ryan's age.

Hmmm

I just want to say... don't go on an all juice diet.

Thanks for sharing. This news truly is affecting me cause I too am 33 years old and over weight, Im about 290 lbs. The other night I woke up suddenly, gasping for breath as if I had the wind knocked out of me. I also snore heavily too. Never thought someone as young as me could actually die from it. What happened to Ryan has got me thinking more seriously about my weight and how it could be affecting my health.

My cousin was overweight and died from sleep apnea as well. He slept with a CPAP machine and passed away the one night he didn't put it on. He made no effort to try to take care of himself or his weight problem and it was a shame because he was very well-loved and respected by our family. Please guys, if you have a similar issue take some steps to handle it.

hmmm You know the first song I ever wrote was called Apnea...because I thought I had it because I couldn't sleep for months.

I seemed to have chilled out about it now though.

Man this is a nightmare, I have been off the grid for the last month or so. To come back to this is just crap. Too soon Ryan, I never had the chance to meet you! I'll always be your fan!

http://www.giantbomb.com/ryan-davis/3040-93335/forums/the-ryan-davis-community-art-memorial-1447219/

Ok. I know that text on a screen does not convey proper context, inflection, or intent. So please do not take this the wrong way. *that being said, I see pitchforks raised and torches lit*

This is an example of why it's so important to take care of yourself. When you're too heavy, you have a greater risk of having sleep apnea. I'll tell you from personal experience that when I was at my heaviest weight, my breathing during sleep was more labored (per my wife). I snored a lot too.

If ANYTHING "good" can come from this (a lesson, as it were), it could be something that motivates us to look after ourselves so we're in this thing for the long haul.

RIP Ryan Davis

I forgot he had sleep apnea. Now I'm am worried about my father and step father. They both have sleep apnea. Ryan was taken too soon.