Studies have shown that sleep apnea can potentially decrease life expectancy by several years, with others estimating that obstructive sleep apnea can shorten your life by up to 12-15 years.
The main reason for this isn’t the sleep apnea itself, but the wider health implications it can have - for example, increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke, or of being involved in an accident due to poor concentration.
The good news however is that sleep apnea is manageable and treatable, which is why it’s important for it to be diagnosed. It’s undiagnosed sleep apnea that can impact your life expectancy.