"It is known already that patients with obstructive sleep apnea have an increased risk of cancer, but it has not been clear whether or not this is due to the OSA itself or related risk factors for cancer, such as obesity, cardiometabolic disease and lifestyle factors," said, MD, one of the study's researchers and a senior consultant at Uppsala University, Sweden, in a statement."Our findings show that oxygen deprivation due to OSA is independently associated with cancer.
Of the study's participants, 2,093 who had OSA and a cancer diagnosis were paired with a control group of 2,093 patients who also had OSA but were cancer-free. Researchers measured OSA severity using the apnea-hypopnea index , a scale that measures the number of breathing disturbances during sleep, or the oxygen desaturation index , which measures the frequency at which blood oxygen levels drop by at least three percent for ten seconds or longer in an hour.
"We found that patients with cancer had slightly more severe OSA," said Palm."In further analysis of subgroups, ODI was higher in patients with lung cancer, prostate cancer, and malignant melanoma."Do you snore at night? If so, visit a doctor who can perform a test to diagnose OSA. Two types of tests—
and home sleep tests—are used to monitor breathing patterns, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels during sleep.are available to treat OSA and reduce your cancer risk. The most common treatment is a CPAP machine, but other therapeutic options include receiving supplemental oxygen and using oral appliances that keep your throat open while you sleep. In addition, your healthcare provider may recommend adopting healthy lifestyle habits to address milder cases of OSA.