What could be cause for death in sleep?
Patient: Yes.  My brother just died in his sleep.  He was only 56 years old.  He was a smoker and had high blood pressure, however, he had controlled his blood pressure with medication.  I was told that he did not complain of any problems and he was very happy the night before he died.  However, I believe that he also had sleep apnea because he was a very loud snorer, according to my sister in law.  She made him sleep on his side.  An autopsy has been performed and we won't find out for another 6 weeks.   What are some factors that could cause someone to die in their sleep like that?  There was no prior history of heart problems, no heart attacks, etc.  Just the high blood pressure and smoking. He was not overweight, and did get excercise in his job, since he worked for shipping and receiving. Doctor: Hello,Thank you for using HCM to post your health query. I am really sorry about your brother.The most common cause of sudden death in patients his age is a myocardial infarction. From what I can see from your question, your brother had some risk factors for coronary artery disease (heart artery blockage). He was a male, had hypertension, he smoked smoking and probably had sleep apnea. A good guess could be that he had a myocardial infarction. Other causes of sudden death are arrhythmias, pulmonary embolism and stroke.The autopsy will give you a more accurate answer.Best regards,Dr. Fernando Batiz