Study links obstructive sleep apnea to increased dementia risk in women

A standard but underdiagnosed sleep problem contributes to the event of dementia amongst adults -; notably ladies, a Michigan Drugs research suggests.

Investigators uncovered this by analyzing survey and cognitive screening knowledge from greater than 18,500 adults to find out the potential impact of identified or suspected obstructive sleep apnea on the danger for dementia.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a power sleep problem characterised by episodes disrupted or restricted respiration throughout sleep.

For all adults age 50 and older, having identified obstructive sleep apnea or its signs -; as individuals usually have no idea they’ve the issue -; was related to a better likelihood of getting indicators or a prognosis of dementia in coming years.

Whereas the general distinction in these dementia diagnoses by no means rose above 5%, the affiliation remained statistically important even after researchers accounted for a lot of different elements that may have an effect on dementia threat, corresponding to race and training.

At all ages stage, ladies with identified or suspected sleep apnea had been extra seemingly than males to be identified with dementia.

In truth, the speed of dementia prognosis decreased among the many males and grew bigger for the ladies as they aged.

The outcomes are printed in SLEEP Advances.

“Our findings provide new perception into the position of a treatable sleep problem on long-term cognitive well being on the inhabitants stage for each men and women,” stated first creator Tiffany J. Braley, M.D., M.S., neurologist, director of the A number of Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology Division and co-founder of the Multidisciplinary MS Fatigue and Sleep Clinic at College of Michigan Well being.

Causes for the sex-specific variations in dementia prognosis by sleep apnea standing, researchers say, should not but identified. Nonetheless, they pose a number of doable explanations.

Girls with average sleep apnea might have a higher threat of heart problems and usually tend to have insomnia, each of which might negatively influence cognitive perform.

Estrogen begins to say no as ladies transition to menopause, which might influence their brains. Throughout that point, they’re extra susceptible to reminiscence, sleep and temper modifications which will result in cognitive decline. Sleep apnea will increase considerably post-menopause but stays underdiagnosed. We’d like extra epidemiologic research to raised perceive how sleep problems in ladies influence their cognitive well being.”

Galit Levi Dunietz, Ph.D., M.P.H., co-author, affiliate professor within the College of Michigan Division of Neurology and Division of Sleep Drugs

Six million People have been formally identified with sleep apnea, but the dysfunction is believed to have an effect on nearer to 30 million individuals.

In a 2024 report, a Lancet Fee recognized a number of modifiable threat elements that collectively account for round 40% of world dementia.

Whereas sleep was not included as an official threat issue, the fee famous that sleep apnea “is perhaps related to dementia” and to contemplate including screening questions on dementia for individuals with the sleep problem.

Different modifiable threat elements for dementia embrace heart problems and psychological well being issues, each of which can be exacerbated by untreated sleep apnea.

“These potential harms brought on by sleep apnea, lots of which threaten cognitive efficiency and decline, spotlight the significance of early prognosis and therapy,” Braley stated.

“Obstructive sleep apnea and resultant sleep deprivation and fragmentation are additionally related to inflammatory modifications within the mind which will contribute to cognitive impairment.”

The Michigan Drugs research used current knowledge from the Well being and Retirement Research, an ongoing survey that’s consultant of People aged 50 and older.

“This research design can’t absolutely show that sleep apnea causes dementia -; that will seemingly require a randomized trial, over a few years, to match results of sleep apnea therapy to the consequences of no therapy,” stated co-author Ronald D. Chervin, M.D., M.S., director of the Division of Sleep Drugs within the Division of Neurology at U-M Well being.

“As it could be a very long time if ever till such a trial happens, backward-looking analyses corresponding to ours, inside massive databases, could also be among the many most informative for years to return. Within the meantime, the outcomes present new proof that clinicians and sufferers, when making choices about testing for sleep apnea and treating it, ought to think about the likelihood that untreated sleep apnea causes or exacerbates dementia.”