Could Sleep Apnea Be An Early Symptom Of Cognitive Decline?

New findings published in the journal Neurology show that heavy snorers and individuals with sleep apnea could have difficulties retaining memory.

Fortunately researchers have discovered that treating this disorder with a breathing machine could help to delay some of the dangerous side-effects associated with the health problem.

"Abnormal breathing patterns during sleep such as heavy snoring and sleep apnea are common in the elderly, affecting about 52 percent of men and 26 percent of women," said study author Ricardo Osorio, of the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, in a news release.

For their findings, the study authors examined 2,470 people between the ages of 55 and 90 who had normal cognition, were dealing with the early stages of impairment or had developed Alzheimer's.

Data revealed that for those who developed cognitive issues or Alzheimer's during the study, those with sleep breathing problems first experienced thinking issues at the average age of 77 when compared to 90 in the normal breathing group.

Furthermore, researchers found that those with sleeping issues also tended to develop Alzheimer's disease five years earlier than those who had healthier breathing, at the average age of 83 versus 88. Yet those who were treated for their sleep issues with a continuous positive airway machine (CPAPA) machine were diagnosed at an older age (82) than counterparts (72).

"The age of onset of MCI for people whose breathing problems were treated was almost identical to that of people who did not have any breathing problems at all," Osorio concluded. "Given that so many older adults have sleep breathing problems, these results are exciting--we need to examine whether using CPAP could possibly help prevent or delay memory and thinking problems."

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