A new study from Korea University Ansan Hospital has found that people with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea may face a higher risk of developing small signs of brain damage known as cerebral microbleeds.
This research brings attention to the hidden effects of sleep disorders on brain health, especially as we age.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition where breathing stops and starts many times during sleep. This happens because the airway becomes blocked. People with this condition often snore loudly, feel tired during the day, and may wake up gasping for air. When sleep is regularly interrupted, it can affect the whole body—including the brain.
Cerebral microbleeds are tiny spots in the brain that show up on MRI scans. Although they are small, they are important. These microbleeds are early signs that the brain’s blood vessels may be damaged.
Studies have linked them to a higher risk of stroke, memory loss, and even dementia. They are more common as people get older, but they can also be linked to smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease.
Until now, the connection between sleep apnea and these brain microbleeds has been unclear. Some studies have shown a link, while others have not. That’s why this new study is important—it takes a closer look at this question using careful long-term data.
The researchers followed 1,441 adults from a Korean community. None of the participants had signs of microbleeds or major heart or brain problems when the study started.
They were split into three groups based on how severe their sleep apnea was: no apnea, mild apnea, and moderate to severe apnea. Their sleep patterns were measured at home using special monitors, and they had brain scans at the beginning and during follow-up visits.
After four years, only a small number of people had developed microbleeds: about 1.85% of those with no sleep apnea, 1.61% of those with mild apnea, and 4.66% of those with moderate to severe apnea. After eight years, those numbers increased: 3.33% in the no apnea group, 3.21% in the mild group, and 7.25% in the moderate to severe group.
These results show that the risk of developing brain microbleeds over time is higher for people with more severe sleep apnea. In fact, people with moderate to severe sleep apnea had more than double the risk compared to people with no sleep apnea. People with mild sleep apnea didn’t show a significant increase in risk.
The researchers also looked at a genetic factor called APOE-ε4, which is known to increase the risk of brain problems like stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. They wanted to know if this gene explained the higher risk in people with sleep apnea.
They found that even when they took this gene into account, people with moderate to severe sleep apnea still had a higher risk. This suggests that sleep apnea itself is a strong and independent risk factor.
In simple terms, this means that moderate to severe sleep apnea might slowly damage the brain’s blood vessels, even before symptoms appear. The damage can build up over time and lead to more serious problems like stroke and dementia.
The good news is that sleep apnea is treatable. Devices like CPAP machines and lifestyle changes can help people breathe better at night and may protect their brain health in the long run.
This study shows why it’s important to take sleep problems seriously. If left untreated, moderate to severe sleep apnea might quietly harm the brain over many years. Doctors and patients should work together to find and treat sleep apnea early, before it leads to lasting damage.
In conclusion, this study found that people with moderate to severe sleep apnea have a higher chance of developing brain microbleeds, especially over longer periods. The findings did not apply to mild cases of sleep apnea.
Genetic factors like APOE-ε4 might make the risk a little higher, but they do not fully explain the link. This means that treating sleep apnea early could help prevent brain problems and improve long-term health.
If you care about sleep, please read studies about herb that could help you sleep well at night, and these drugs could lower severity of sleep apnea by one third.
For more health information, please see recent studies that coffee boosts your physical activity, cuts sleep, affects heartbeat, and results showing how to deal with “COVID-somnia” and sleep well at night.
The study is published in JAMA Network Open.
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