Researchers from the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research have found that moderate to severe sleep apnea increases the risk of all-cause mortality.

The study, presented at the Sleep 2008 Conference in Baltimore, examined the presence of sleep apnea in 400 individuals from the Western Australian town of Busselton and then monitored their mortality over the next 14 years.

Individuals that suffered from moderate to severe sleep apnea had more than a 20 per cent increased risk of all-cause mortality than those without the disorder.

Those with mild sleep apnea, however, had no greater risk of mortality.