Study provides new evidence that sleep apnea may increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers are reporting new evidence that sleep apnea—a common disorder that can cause people to snore frequently during sleep—may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.  A team of scientists studied 208 men and women aged 55 to 90, most of whom had sleep apnea but did not have any type of diagnosed dementia. After two years, the scientists found that those who suffered from more severe sleep apnea had certain chemical markers in their spinal fluid indicating increased levels of beta amyloid, a type of brain plaque associated with Alzheimer’s. In addition, brain imaging scans in some of the more severe apnea patients confirmed an increase in amyloid plaque. The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, was partly funded by NHLBI.