Sleep Issue Raises Death Risk

Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder in which the throat repeatedly closes during sleep, cutting off breathing for seconds at a time. In a study due to be presented in Istanbul in May 2026, adults with the condition had a 71% higher risk of cardiovascular events or death than matched adults without it. (eurekalert.org) The research team used linked electronic health records from 2.9 million residents of North-West London and matched 20,300 adults with obstructive sleep apnea to 97,412 comparable adults without it. Participants were followed for as long as four years, until an event, March 2025, or loss to follow-up. (eurekalert.org) The study was conducted by researchers from Imperial College Health Partners, Imperial College Healthcare National Health Service Trust, and Eli Lilly and Company, which sponsored the work. The findings are scheduled for presentation at the European Congress on Obesity, set for May 12 to May 15, 2026, in Istanbul. (eurekalert.org) (eco2026.org) Obstructive sleep apnea means breathing stops and starts during sleep, and the National Health Service says the most common form is caused by the airway becoming blocked. The same guidance lists loud snoring, gasping or choking sounds, and daytime sleepiness among the main signs. (nhs.uk) The heart link has been on doctors’ radar for years because repeated drops in oxygen and repeated awakenings put stress on the body night after night. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says sleep apnea raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. (cdc.gov) The American Heart Association said in a 2021 scientific statement that obstructive sleep apnea is common and often underdiagnosed, especially in people who already have cardiovascular disease. That statement cited prevalence as high as 40% to 80% in patients with hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and stroke. (acc.org) (ahajournals.org) The new analysis also sits inside obesity research because excess weight and sleep apnea often overlap. The European Association for the Study of Obesity said obesity is now framed as a chronic disease with broad metabolic complications, and the sleep apnea study reported that 57.2% of the obstructive sleep apnea group were living with obesity. (easo.org) (eurekalert.org) Researchers and doctors usually treat obstructive sleep apnea with measures such as continuous positive airway pressure, or a bedside machine that keeps the airway open with a stream of air. The study authors said the condition remains underdiagnosed and undertreated despite guideline-directed therapies. (eurekalert.org) Because the results were announced ahead of a conference presentation, the full methods and peer-reviewed paper were not included in the conference notice. The main signal is clear already: a common sleep disorder that many people dismiss as snoring is being tracked as a marker of heart risk and earlier death. (eurekalert.org)