US Pharm. 2014;39(5):38.
Sydney, Australia—A 20-year follow-up study from the University of Sydney has found an independent association between moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and increased risk of stroke, cancer, and mortality. Subjects with a history of stroke or cancer were excluded from analysis. Participants with moderate-to-severe OSA were four times more likely to die, nearly four times more likely to have a stroke, and 2.5 times more likely to develop cancer. During follow-up, 77 deaths and 31 strokes occurred, as well as 125 cancer events (39 of them fatalities). Mild OSA was not associated with increased health risks. Results of this study are consistent with findings from earlier research conducted in the United States and Spain.
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