Sleep apnea contribute to dementia in older adults, especially women: Study

A standard but underdiagnosed sleep problem contributes to the event of dementia amongst adults—significantly ladies, a Michigan Drugs examine suggests.

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

Obstructive sleep apnea is a persistent sleep problem characterised by episodes disrupted or restricted respiratory throughout sleep.

For all adults age 50 and older, having recognized obstructive sleep apnea or its signs—as folks usually have no idea they’ve the issue—was related to the next probability of getting indicators or a analysis of dementia in coming years.

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

At all ages degree, ladies with recognized or suspected sleep apnea had been extra seemingly than males to be recognized with dementia. In truth, the speed of dementia analysis decreased among the many males and grew bigger for the ladies as they aged.

The outcomes are revealed in Sleep Advances.

“Our findings supply new perception into the position of a treatable sleep problem on long-term cognitive well being on the inhabitants degree for each men and women,” mentioned 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 analysis by sleep apnea standing, researchers say, should not but recognized. Nevertheless, they pose a number of potential explanations. Girls with average sleep apnea could have a larger danger of heart problems and usually tend to have insomnia, each of which may negatively impression cognitive perform.

“Estrogen begins to say no as ladies transition to menopause, which may impression their brains,” mentioned co-author Galit Levi Dunietz, Ph.D., M.P.H., an affiliate professor within the College of Michigan Division of Neurology and Division of Sleep Drugs.

“Throughout that point, they’re extra liable to reminiscence, sleep and temper adjustments 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 impression their cognitive well being.”

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

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

Whereas sleep was not included as an official danger issue, the fee famous that sleep apnea “could be related to dementia” and to think about including screening questions on dementia for folks with the sleep problem.

Different modifiable danger components for dementia embody 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, a lot of which threaten cognitive efficiency and decline, spotlight the significance of early analysis and remedy,” Braley mentioned.

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

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

“This examine design can’t absolutely show that sleep apnea causes dementia—that will seemingly require a randomized trial, over a few years, to check results of sleep apnea remedy to the consequences of no remedy,” mentioned 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 giant databases, could also be among the many most informative for years to come back. Within the meantime, the outcomes present new proof that clinicians and sufferers, when making selections about testing for sleep apnea and treating it, ought to think about the chance that untreated sleep apnea causes or exacerbates dementia.”