Sleep problems are very common, especially as people age. One serious sleep disorder, called obstructive sleep apnea, affects how a person breathes during the night.
People with this condition often stop breathing for short periods because their throat muscles relax too much while they sleep.
These repeated breathing interruptions lower oxygen levels in the body and disturb sleep. A person may wake up many times during the night without realizing it.
This broken sleep and low oxygen can affect many parts of the body, including the brain. Previous research has shown that untreated sleep apnea can raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Now, a new study suggests that it may also increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Even more importantly, the study found that if people start using a breathing treatment called CPAP soon after being diagnosed, they may lower their risk of Parkinson’s.
The study was presented at the 77th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in April 2025. It was led by Dr. Gregory D. Scott from the VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon.
The researchers reviewed more than 20 years of medical records and looked at data from nearly 1.6 million veterans with sleep apnea and nearly 10 million without it. They wanted to see if there were differences in how many people developed Parkinson’s disease in each group.
At first glance, the results seemed puzzling. Of the people with sleep apnea, 3.4% developed Parkinson’s disease within five years. Among those without sleep apnea, 3.8% developed the disease.
But the researchers explained that this first comparison might be misleading. The two groups had differences in age, smoking habits, and other health issues that could affect the results.
To get a clearer picture, the researchers adjusted the data to account for those differences. After that, they found that people with sleep apnea had a higher risk of Parkinson’s—about 1.8 more cases per 1,000 people than those without sleep apnea.
Then the team looked at how the use of CPAP affected this risk. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. It’s a machine that pushes air into the throat through a mask during sleep, helping to keep the airway open and prevent breathing interruptions.
Among people with sleep apnea, only about 10% had records showing they used a CPAP machine. The researchers divided this group into two categories: those who started using CPAP within two years of their sleep apnea diagnosis, and those who started later.
Here’s what they found. People who started CPAP early had fewer cases of Parkinson’s—about 2.3 fewer per 1,000 people—compared to people who did not use CPAP. On the other hand, people who started CPAP more than two years after diagnosis had about the same rate of Parkinson’s as those who never used it.
This suggests that starting CPAP treatment soon after a sleep apnea diagnosis may help protect the brain. Dr. Scott said this was good news because it means people with sleep apnea may have a way to lower their risk of Parkinson’s by treating their condition right away.
However, the study did have some limits. For example, the researchers could see whether someone had a CPAP machine, but they couldn’t tell how often the person actually used it. People who don’t use the machine regularly may not get the same benefits.
This study adds to growing evidence that sleep apnea can affect more than just how well a person sleeps. It may have long-term effects on brain health too. While more research is needed, the findings support the idea that treating sleep apnea early and consistently could help lower the chances of serious brain diseases like Parkinson’s.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that Vitamin B may slow down cognitive decline, and Mediterranean diet could help lower risk of Parkinson’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline, and results showing Plant-based diets could protect cognitive health from air pollution.
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