Sleep Apnea Linked to Cancer.

Moderate-to-severe OSA was associated with a 2.5-fold higher likelihood of incident cancer (95% CI 1.2-5.0) after adjustment for obesity and a full range of other factors, Nathaniel Marshall, PhD, of the University of Sydney Nursing School in Australia, and colleagues found.

Cancer mortality was 3.4 times more common (95% CI 1.1-10.2) in those with sleep apnea than with no sleep apnea during 20 years of follow-up, they reported in the April 15 issue of theJournal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.