Sleep Apnea Doubles Risk Of Sudden Cardiac Death

Sleep apnea increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, a U.S. study finds. Researchers collected data for more than five years on 11,000 people who had participated in sleep studies. During that time, 142 people died of sudden cardiac death. The most common predictors were age (60+ years), 20 or more apnea episodes per hour of sleep, and an oxygen saturation below 78 percent during sleep. The researchers concluded that sleep apnea doubles the risk of sudden death, particularly if people stop breathing more than 20 times an hour.