Obstructive sleep apnoea is associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This does not mean identical outcomes for everyone or that treatment removes all cardiac risk.
A heart attack involves impaired blood supply to heart muscle and is not the same as cardiac arrest; stroke can involve blockage or bleeding. Research linking apnoea and cancer does not establish definite causation, and apnoea alone is not a cancer diagnosis. Sleep testing and appropriate treatment matter for symptoms and health; blood pressure, weight, smoking and other risks need separate management.
Snoring alone does not establish the diagnosis. Sleep testing is selected by age and risk; some adult tests can be performed at home. Weight management, CPAP, suitable oral appliances and selected surgery are considered individually.
If daytime sleepiness affects safe driving, do not drive and inform your clinician. Blue colouring or serious breathing difficulty in a child requires emergency care.
This information does not replace an individual consultation. Diagnosis and treatment depend on a medical assessment.
Consultation and treatment