Common NHS snoring treatment can slow the signs of ageing, scientists discover

A COMMON anti-storing device used on the NHS can slow down the signs of ageing, scientists say.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are dished out for free to people in Britain who suffer from sleep apnoea, a serious sleeping disorder affecting 8million people.

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Scientists from Brazil found the device combats premature ageing in people with the condition – which stops people breathing while they sleep.

It’s anti-ageing powers come from improving sleep quality through making breathing better.

The experts said the extra sleep helps keeps DNA healthy and reduces dangerous inflammation in the body.

Study author, Dr Sergio Tufik, said: “The results underscore the criticality of sleep as a protective factor in ageing and a risk factor in patients with alterations.”

The device works by gently pumping air into a mask worn over the mouth or nose which keeps the airways open while sleeping.

The latest study, published in the journal Sleep, looked at the affects of CPAP therapy of 46 male participants with sleep apnoea for over six months.

Half of them underwent CPAP therapy, while the other half used a placebo treatment.

Scientists from the Federal University of São Paulo found less inflammation and DNA damage in the control group compared to the placebo group.

If left untreated, those with the condition have a 30 per cent greater risk of heart disease and are 60 per cent more likely to have a stroke.

In sleep apnoea, the airway narrows so much that airflow gets restricted or the airway closes altogether.

Being obese, drinking alcohol, smoking, sleeping on your back and an underactive thyroid all increase your risk.