'Elderly people with sleep apnoea may live longer'

Elderly people suffering from sleep apnoea could live longer, new research suggests.

A study was conducted by the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology which examined the mortality rates of elderly participants diagnosed with apnoea compared to those without it.

The results, which were presented at the European Sleep Research Society Congress in Glasgow, show that the mortality rate of moderate apnoea sufferers was one third of that of the population, Medical News Today reports.

However for those without the condition, the mortality rate was the same.

Professor Peretz Lavie said these findings strengthened the idea that "sleep apnoea activates defense mechanisms among the elderly that provide them with survival advantage".

Apnoea is when the sufferer stops breathing several times a night while they are sleeping, often for a minute or longer. It can leave them tired during the day as they have not had a peaceful night's rest in bed.

According to the NHS, 3.5 per cent of men and 1.5 per cent of women in the UK suffer from the condition and it has previously been linked to risks of high blood pressure.