A new study from researchers at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the University of Ottawa has found that older adults at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are more likely to have poor mental health.
This study followed Canadians aged 45 to 85 and found that people at high risk for sleep apnea had around 40% higher odds of having depression, anxiety, or other mental health problems.
Mental health issues like depression and anxiety are among the most common health problems in the world. They can lead to serious challenges, such as heart disease, job loss, homelessness, disability, and hospital visits. These conditions also cost the world economy about $1 trillion every year because of lost productivity.
Obstructive sleep apnea happens when a person’s airway narrows or closes many times during sleep. This causes loud snoring, poor sleep quality, and sometimes low oxygen levels in the blood. People may wake up often at night without realizing it. Over time, these disruptions can affect the brain and lead to stress and other health problems.
In the past, scientists thought poor sleep could affect mental health. But this new study shows a stronger link than before. It found that people who had signs of sleep apnea were more likely to have mental health issues not only at the start of the study but also years later.
The research used data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. This included more than 30,000 adults at the beginning and almost 28,000 at follow-up after around three years.
The researchers looked at whether people were at high risk of sleep apnea using a simple questionnaire. They then compared these results with signs of mental health issues, like feeling very depressed, being diagnosed with a mental health condition, or using antidepressant medicine.
At the start, 23.5% of participants were at high risk for sleep apnea. That number rose to 27.0% by follow-up. Poor mental health was present in 34.3% of people at the beginning and 31.9% at follow-up.
Those with high sleep apnea risk had 1.39 times the odds of poor mental health at the beginning and 1.40 times at follow-up. Even among people who had no mental health problems at the start, those with high sleep apnea risk were still more likely to develop them over time.
The study also showed that people who were witnessed to stop breathing during sleep had similar risks. So did people who were diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or mood disorders.
Researchers believe poor oxygen levels, interrupted sleep, and inflammation may link sleep apnea to mental health issues. The stress of dealing with other health problems linked to sleep apnea may also play a role.
Because of these findings, the authors recommend that doctors screen older adults for depression and anxiety if they show signs of sleep apnea. Getting treated for sleep apnea might not only improve sleep but also help protect mental health.
If you care about health, please read studies that scientists find a core feature of depression and this metal in the brain strongly linked to depression.
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The study is published JAMA Network Open.
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