Sleep Apnea May Lead to Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s

The dangers associated with night-time breathing disturbances, such as obstructive sleep apnea, are well known: increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and diabetes, not to mention sometimes dangerous daytime drowsiness, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Now a study suggests that such sleep conditions can hasten the onset of both Alzheimer’s disease and “moderate cognitive impairment,” such as memory loss, by quite a few years. But in a bit of good news, it concludes that using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, the treatment of choice for sleep apnea, can prevent or delay cognitive problems.

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