Yes, sleep apnea, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is strongly linked to an increased risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, with studies showing that intermittent oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) and sleep disruption cause brain damage, amyloid plaque buildup, and neuronal loss, though researchers are still clarifying the exact causal pathways. Treating OSA with CPAP may help reduce these risks and improve cognitive function, highlighting it as a potentially modifiable factor for dementia prevention.
Conclusions. Undiagnosed and untreated obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can lead to abnormal physiology that can have serious implications including increased cardiovascular disease, stroke, metabolic disease, excessive daytime sleepiness, work-place errors, traffic accidents and death.
After adjusting for other factors that could affect memory and thinking problems, such as age, race, gender and education, researchers found that people who reported sleep apnea symptoms were about 50% more likely to also report having memory or thinking problems compared to people who did not have sleep apnea symptoms ...
How sleep apnea affects your health
Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by conditions that block airflow through your upper airway during sleep. For example, your tongue may fall backward and block your airway. Central sleep apnea is caused by problems with the way your brain controls your breathing while you sleep.
Approximately 12-15 years of life could be taken from someone who does not treat their sleep apnea. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine states that having sleep apnea increases the risk of death by 17%. And, if left untreated, having severe sleep apnea could double that risk.
Interruptions in breathing can reduce the levels of oxygen in the blood which could damage brain cells. In addition, OSA is associated with several other diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and depression, that can increase your risk for Alzheimer's disease.
The AASM continues to recommend scoring hypopneas in adults when there is a ≥ 3% oxygen desaturation from pre-event baseline and/or the event is associated with an arousal.
There are several lifestyle changes that have shown promise in managing sleep apnea. Weight loss is often recommended as excess weight can contribute to the narrowing of the airway. Regular exercise can also help reduce symptoms, not only by promoting weight loss but also by improving respiratory strength.
Excess Weight
As a person gains weight, the tissue on their throat and chest places more and more pressure on their airway when they lay down to sleep, making stoppages in breathing stemming from sleep apnea more frequent.
Sleep apnea can range from mild to severe, based on how often breathing stops during sleep. For adults, breathing may stop as few as 5 times an hour (mild apnea) to 30 or more times an hour (severe apnea).
Sleep apnea doesn't always announce itself with dramatic symptoms like gasping or choking. The quieter signs—morning headaches, mood changes, frequent urination, and fatigue—can be just as telling. If you've been struggling with any of these issues, don't wait to seek help.
Drugs which may worsen OSA. Opioids 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, benzodiazepines 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, baclofen 26, 27, 28, testosterone 29, 30, 31, 32 and drugs inducing weight gain 33 are suspected to worsen sleep apnoea (Table 1).
“Sleep on your side with your back mostly straight. This the best sleep position as it reduces apnea severity and snoring,” Dr. Knobbe said. It can also help keep your spine in proper alignment, although it can put additional strain on your shoulders, hips and spine.
Like many sufferers, Shaq was unaware that he had sleep apnea until his partner told him about his pattern of snoring and gasping for breath. After completing a sleep study and being diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea, Shaq was fitted with a CPAP mask to get a better night's rest.
The amount of time that a sleep apnea patient stops breathing can be from 10 seconds to two minutes or more. These breathing "stoppages" can happen a few times per hour or, in more severe cases, 60-100 times per hour or to the point where someone spends more time NOT breathing than they are breathing.
However, there are still some common signs that should prompt you to get checked and seek treatment for sleep apnea:
You Miss Out on Sleep
You do a few things you know you shouldn't -- we all do. But some of those bad habits can take a toll on your brain. For example, lack of sleep may be a cause of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. It's best to have regular sleeping hours.
The risk of developing sleep apnea rises with increased weight, increased age, and among patients with diabetes as well as smokers. An individual may also be susceptible to obstructive sleep apnea due to a constricted shape or small size of features in the nose, mouth or throat.
The 10 warning signs of dementia include memory loss, difficulty with familiar tasks, confusion about time/place, trouble with language, poor judgment, misplacing things, personality changes, loss of initiative, and problems with visual/spatial skills, requiring professional assessment to distinguish from normal aging.
Sleep apnea is linked to obesity
Rosen, noting that this may also have to do with the rise in recognition for sleep apnea too. But this is “in part because it's very much linked to obesity and obesity is becoming more prevalent,” she said. “They get more airway collapse. They're having poor sleep.
Many people with sleep apnea experience loud and regular chronic snoring. Their airway partially collapses during sleep, making it difficult for air to flow smoothly. This results in vibrations in the throat, creating a deep, rumbling sound.
“Every additional hour of CPAP treatment translates to improved chance of survival for people living with OSA. Patients who stay on CPAP therapy aren't just breathing easier at night; they're potentially adding years to their lives.”