Common snoring treatment used by NHS may actually slow down the signs of ageing
A snoring device used on the NHS has been proven to slow down premature ageing, scientists revealed.
The machine, called Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), is handed out to dozens of Brits who experience sleep apnoea for free. The condition is a serious sleeping disorder and can impact 8 million people. The CPAP works by softly pumping air into a face mask which is placed over the mouth or nose. It aims to keep airways open during sleep.
Researchers, from the Federal University of São Paulo in Brazil, found the device can help slow down ageing in people with the condition - which stops people from breathing as they sleep. The positive link with ageing comes from improved sleep quality by making it easier to breathe, reports The Sun.
The researchers said additional time in bed helps keep DNA healthy and decreases the threatening inflammation in the body. Study author, Dr Sergio Tufik, commented: “The results underscore the criticality of sleep as a protective factor in ageing and a risk factor in patients with alterations."
The study, published in the journal Sleep, analysed the results of CPAP therapy by looking at 46 male patients who suffered from sleep apnoea. Researchers watched the males for a period of six months, as half of the participants underwent the therapy, while the others were given a placebo treatment.
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Those with the condition have a 30 per cent increased risk of developing heart disease and are 60 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke. Scientists found less inflammation and DNA damage in the group which was given the controlled therapy.
Lifestyle aspects including being obese, smoking and drinking alcohol can also increase the risk. Sleeping on your back and an underactive thyroid further increase the risk.
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