A new study reveals that long-term sleep apnea can harm the brain.
According to CNN, it is estimated that 936 million adults worldwide may suffer from sleep apnea. This number could be much higher as many people remain undiagnosed. If left untreated, sleep apnea can triple the risk of death compared to those without the condition.
In a recent study by neuroscientists at Northwestern University and Mayo Clinic, it was found that long-term sleep apnea can negatively impact brain health in the future.
Sleep apnea is more common in obese individuals. (Illustrative image).
In the journal Neurology, the neuroscientists reported that they compared cognitive function in individuals aged 35 to 70 with sleep apnea to those without the condition. The results showed that those with sleep apnea had poorer concentration, impaired memory, and diminished social judgment abilities.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common form of sleep apnea, where airflow through the mouth or nose is blocked, even when a person is trying to breathe. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, this condition is more prevalent among obese individuals.
Prolonged sleep apnea reduces oxygen levels, leading to increased carbon dioxide levels, blood pressure, and heart rate, which results in inflammation in the brain and activates stress hormones. All of these factors raise blood pressure, potentially leading to a stroke.
Ineffective blood flow can kill nerve cells or impair white matter – the tissue that forms connections between brain cells and the rest of the nervous system, ultimately leading to cognitive decline.
Dr. Diego Carvalho, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, stated that for every 10% reduction in deep sleep duration, there is an increase in white matter intensity in the brain similar to the effects of aging 2-3 years.
Higher white matter intensity can slow down the brain’s ability to process information, maintain attention, and remember. Lower levels of white matter are also associated with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and irritability. Such changes in white matter are linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline as well as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
However, experts also note that this study only indicates a correlation, without providing any treatment solutions for such changes in the brain.
Deep Sleep, Faster Recovery During the first and second stages of sleep, the body begins to reduce its activity rhythm to enter stage three – deep sleep or slow-wave sleep. Stages three and four are when the body literally repairs itself at the cellular level. Previous studies have shown that sleep, especially deep sleep, has the best healing effects and helps enhance immune function. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since each sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, most adults need approximately 7-8 hours of relatively uninterrupted sleep to achieve deep sleep. However, those with sleep apnea may experience dozens of small awakenings throughout the night due to snoring, gasping, or struggling to breathe. This constant disruption makes it difficult for them to achieve sufficient deep sleep and transition to the final stage, known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, where dreaming occurs. |
