We knew that sleep apnea increases the risk of heart failure. A new study, published in the journal American journal of respiratorysuggests that seniors who suffer obstructive sleep apnea have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
In this study, the researchers note that biomarkers of beta-amyloid protein (one of the markers in the brain for Alzheimer’s disease) increase over time in older people who suffer from sleep apnea. Thus, the more people have apneas, the more the beta-amyloid plaques are.
Sleep apnea and Alzheimer’s disease share their risk factors
“Several studies have already suggested that sleep disordersmay contribute to amyloid deposits in the brain and accelerate cognitive decline in those at risk” said Professor Ricardo Osorio, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University (USA). “However, until now it has been difficult to verify causality because obstructive sleep apnea and Alzheimer’s disease share risk factors and commonly coexist”.
Read also : How do you know if you sometimes have sleep apnea?
For this study, the researchers followed for two years 208 people aged 55 to 90, not treated with continuous positive pressure (the reference treatment for sleep apnea) and not suffering from any health problem that could affect their cognitive functions. Half of the participants had sleep apnea (36.5% in a mild form and 16.8% in a moderate to severe form).
The analyzes showed a link between the severity of sleep apnea and long-term concentration of detectable beta-amyloid in cerebrospinal fluid. The researchers admit, however, that the short duration of the study makes it impossible to draw definitive conclusions. And that in addition, physical aging must also be taken into account. But this study highlights the importance of developing new screening tools to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea in the elderly.
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