Sleep apnoea ''can surprisingly prolong life''
07/10/2008
The condition of sleep apnoea, the main cause of snoring, has been under tests recently which have surprisingly suggested that it could prolong the sufferer''s life.
Usually the problem is linked to high blood pressure, an increased chance of stroke and a greater possibility of a heart attack, but research from the Lloyd Rigler Sleep Apnoea Research Laboratory in Haifa, Israel has proved otherwise.
In an interview for the Telegraph, lead researcher Peretz Lavie said the results - which found that older patients over 65 with the condition were more likely to survive - were "astonishing".
He continued: "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."
Lloyd Rigler passed away in December 2003 and was credited with the establishment of the sleep fund which continues to promote the work of Professor Lavie, according to a report in the New York Times.
