The current estimate is that over 20 million Americans are struggling with sleep apnea, but every major healthcare organization agrees that the real number is likely much larger because roughly 80% of cases go undiagnosed. While it’s well-documented that sleep apnea is terrible for your health, can it actually kill you? The answer is actually quite nuanced and shows that being tired all the time isn’t the worst thing the condition can cause.

A 2019 study from the European Respiratory Journal uncovered an unnerving discovery—compared to men with sleep apnea, women with the disorder were shown to develop cancer two to three times more. This is despite the fact that men have sleep apnea at a much higher rate. So what is causing this correlation? Is there something women can do that could both reduce their sleep problems and keep them protected from cancer?