Some people experience interrupted breathing while asleep, especially the elderly, and this leads to decreased oxygenation of the blood. A new study showed that the poor oxygenation during sleep is correlated with heart-related Death in older men.

The researchers monitored 2840 men aged in their 70s and early 80s. “The study showed that when the men had 12 or more minutes of sleep at low oxygen saturation below 90 percent this increased the risk of heart-related death by 59 percent,” says Associate Professor Baumert, one of the main authors.

Screening and treatment for risk factors in these people might reduce sleep hypoxia and increase survival rates.

Read the full story: University of Adelaide
Scientific publication: European Heart Journal