People with both sleep apnea and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can extend their lives by treating the sleep disorder. Researchers from Brown University found that treatment of sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) lowers the risk of death for people with both health issues.
The information is based off a study that included 10,272 outpatients. 3,396 of the patients had COPD or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) between 2007 and 2010 and, among these patients, 227 had both conditions. People with both conditions were treated with CPAP as researchers kept track of how compliant they were in using the treatment for the first to three months.
17 people who had both sleep apnea and COPD, died by the end of the study. There was an association between CPAP compliance and risk of dying over the study period, but any amount of treatment with CPAP did help to lower the death risk.
CPAP has been shown to decrease the death risk among people with other serious health conditions as well. If you have trouble sleeping or suspect that you have sleep apnea, don’t hesitate to consult with your physician. It can add years to your life.
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