Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for sleep apnea may do more than help people sleep better. Research has found that the therapy is also associated with increased physical activity in people with heart disease.

One study included more than 2,600 participants, ages 45 to 75 who had heart disease and obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep. CPAP therapy applies mild levels of air pressure through a mask to keep their throat open during sleep.

Study participants were divided into two groups. One group received usual heart care plus CPAP, while a control group received usual heart care alone. The participants reported their physical activity levels at the start of the study and at six months, two years, and four years.

Over an average follow-up of 3.7 years, the CPAP group reported about 20 percent higher levels of moderate physical activity than the control group.

The increased level of physical activity among CPAP users in the study would likely provide them with significant health benefits over longer periods of time, such as lowering the recurrence of heart events, the researchers noted.