New study finds obstructive sleep apnea may raise dementia risk, with aging women showing the highest vulnerability, underscoring the need for targeted interventions in sleep health and cognitive care. Study: Sex-specific dementia risk in known or suspected obstructive sleep apnea: A 10-year longitudinal population-based study . Image Credit: Andrey Popov / Shutterstock.
com A new study published in SLEEP Advances determines the differential risk of dementia among men and women based on the presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Dementia threat in the USA Dementia refers to a progressive and incurable decline in cognitive function that is often accompanied by alterations in behavior due to neurodegenerative disease. Current estimates indicate that seven million Americans are diagnosed with dementia; therefore, it is crucial to identify modifiable risk factors for targeted interventions.
For example, women are more likely to develop dementia than men. Thus, environmental and comorbidity-related risk factors that more frequently affect women must be quantified to determine their role in this association. OSA is defined as episodes of blocked breathing in the upper respiratory tract that lead to interrupted sleep and hypoxia during these episodes.
OSA, the prevalence of which increases with age, is an established risk factor for dementia. Nevertheless, prospective sex-stratified studies in a population-based cohort over extended periods are needed. About the study The current.
