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The study examined medical data from 11 million U.S. military veterans, 1.5 million of whom were diagnosed with obstructive apnea, a condition in which airways are periodically blocked during sleep, causing breathing cessation. Scientists tracked how frequently these individuals developed Parkinson's disease over several years and compared them with those without apnea.
In the initial years of observation, the association between apnea and Parkinson's disease was negligible. However, with follow-up of six or more years, the picture changed: the risk of developing Parkinson's in patients who did not treat apnea at all increased nearly twofold, by 92%.
Increased risk was observed only in those who did not receive treatment. Approximately 90% of apnea patients did not use CPAP devices (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), special devices that deliver pressurized air through a mask during sleep, preventing airway collapse.
A key study finding was that CPAP therapy reduced Parkinson's disease risk by approximately 31% even in patients with severe forms of apnea. This effect persisted in both short-term and long-term perspectives.
The discovery confirms growing evidence of a connection between apnea and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Previously, scientists discovered that apnea increases Alzheimer's disease risk approximately 1.5-2 times, and in elderly people with untreated apnea, dementia develops on average 5-10 years earlier.
According to expert estimates, approximately 1 billion people worldwide have mild to severe sleep apnea. Moreover, the disease often remains undiagnosed, many people don't suspect its presence, attributing snoring and daytime drowsiness to ordinary fatigue.
The study emphasizes the importance of timely detection and treatment of apnea with CPAP therapy, as a Parkinson's disease prevention strategy.
In Russia, all modern apnea diagnostic methods are available, such as computer somnography, which allows sleep diagnostics in comfortable conditions, including during sleep, this method is called sleep endoscopy. Among modern treatment methods, besides CPAP and other device solutions, are surgical apnea treatment and bariatric operations for weight reduction (if excess weight or obesity is the primary apnea factor).
Source: JAMA neurology
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