Snoring and Poor Sleep Linked to Alzheimer’s and Strokes, Study Finds

According to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, a 10 percent decrease in the amount of deep sleep changes people’s brains, increasing white matter as if they were 2.3 years older.

The researchers said that lack of deep sleep increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, due to the accumulation of toxins and white matter abnormalities, which cause pressure on nerve cells in the brain, and increase their energy needs.

And nerve cells that are unable to meet these demands die, which leads to shrinking brain cells, according to the British Daily Mail.

The study involved monitoring 140 people with obstructive sleep apnea, with an average age of 73, who underwent brain scans and stayed overnight in a sleep laboratory.

A total of 34 percent had mild sleep apnea, 32 percent had a moderate condition, while 34 percent had severe cases, knowing that symptoms of sleep apnea include stopping breathing, making sounds such as gasping and snoring, and feeling Choking, tossing and turning a lot at night.

“These biomarkers are markers of early cerebrovascular disease,” said Dr. Diego Carvalho of the Mayo Clinic.

“Monitoring severe apnea and absence of deep sleep are associated with these biomarkers because there is no cure for these changes in the brain, so we need to find ways to prevent them from happening or getting worse,” Carvalho added.

“More research is needed to determine whether sleep problems affect brain biomarkers or vice versa. We also need to look at whether strategies to improve sleep quality or treat sleep apnea can affect the course of these biomarkers.” .

According to the study, the results of which were published in the Journal of Neurology, those with severe sleep apnea had more white matter hyperintensity than those with mild or moderate cases, and decreased integrity of brain axons that connect neurons.