Sleep Apnea Raises Risk for Death

Sleep apnea is a common, chronic condition that affects about one in four men. If not treated, it can lead to excessive sleepiness, problems with daytime alertness, and an increased risk for car accidents. New research published in PLoS Medicine suggests much worse, though. Sleep apnea may also double the risk for premature death among middle-aged and elderly men.

To find out if sleep apnea is linked with an increased risk for death, researchers followed more than 6,400 men and women ages 40 years and older for about eight years on average.

Home monitoring of sleep patterns provided the research team almost 10,000 in-depth recordings of breathing patterns, heart rhythms, and brain activity during sleep.

Based on the recordings, about half of the patients had mild to severe sleep apnea. Over the course of the study, 587 men and 460 women died.

Risk for Death Doubled

Severe sleep apnea occurs when blood oxygen levels dip below 90 percent of normal. The study found that having just 11 minutes of severe sleep apnea appeared to roughly double the risk for death among men.

But, even patients with moderate sleep apnea faced an increased risk for death, as much as 17 percent, compared with those who did not have sleep-related breathing problems.

Men between the ages of 40 and 70 with sleep apnea were particularly at risk for death from any cause, but especially from heart disease.

Sleep apnea was not linked with risk for death in women in this study.

Get Treated for Sleep Apnea

The hallmarks of sleep apnea are loud snoring, pauses in breathing, and sleep disruption. But most people with the condition don't even know that they have it.

If you have these symptoms, talk with your doctor about sleep apnea. Treatment for the condition can improve symptoms and reduce risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Treatment may include mouthpieces, breathing devices, and surgery. Your doctor will help you decide which are best for you.