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06 Oct 2008
Sleep apnoea, a condition which causes snoring and has been linked to an increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure and heart attack, could prolong life, according to a new study.
Researchers followed 611 patients aged 65 or over for more than four years.
It was found those who had moderate sleep apnoea - which can cause sufferers to stop breathing for up to ten seconds at a time as a result of repeated collapsing of the airway as they rest - were less likely to die over the course of the study than those who did not have the condition.
Dr Peretz Lavie, who carried out the research at the Israeli scientific institution the Lloyd Rigler Sleep Apnoea Research Laboratory, said the results were "astonishing", UK publication the Telegraph notes.
"We know that sleep apnoea does reduce life expectancy for people under the age of 50, so to find that it could actually prolong life for elderly patients was quite a shock," he added.
Dr Lavie suggests the way the body responds to a lack of blood to major organs, which can be caused when breathing ceases, could be responsible for the findings.
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