“Study Links Sleep Apnea to Higher Risk of Stroke and Alzheimer’s”

A recent study published in the journal “Neurology” revealed that there is a relationship between difficulty breathing during sleep that causes loud snoring, lack of deep sleep, and stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.

The study found that people with sleep apnea who spent less time in deep sleep had a higher risk of developing brain biomarkers associated with an increased risk of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.

The research team looked at sleep factors and healthy biomarkers of the brain’s white matter. Molecules in the blood measure how well the brain’s white matter is preserved, which is important for connecting different parts of the brain.

People with severe sleep apnea have a higher volume of white matter hyperintensity than those with mild or moderate sleep apnea, which also leads to reduced axon integrity in the brain.