According to a new study, individuals with sleep apnea and heavy snorers may be more likely to suffer from thinking and memory problems at younger ages than people who are well-rested, Reuters reported.
The study, which was published online in the journal Neurology, reported that heavy snoring and sleep apnea are quite common in older people and affect about 26 percent of women and 53 percent of men.
Scientists New York University Langone Medical Center analyzed data from 2,500 people aged between 55 and 90 years and discovered that individuals who had breathing troubles while they slept suffered from memory or thinking problems 10 years earlier and developed Alzheimer's five years earlier than those who didn't have sleep problems.
Furthermore, according to researchers, subjects who used a breathing machine to battle sleep apnea delayed cognitive problems by a decade. The study concluded that using a continuous positive airway pressure machine to treat sleep apnea may delay or prevent cognitive problems.
Dr. Ricardo Osorio, the lead researcher, said that treatment may not cure sleep apnea, but may postpone the onset of memory problems. The researcher cautioned that the study demonstrated only a link between sleep disruption and developing Alzheimer's disease or mild mental impairment early. It didn't prove that snoring or sleep apnea led to the mental decline. Osorio said that not every individual with sleep breathing problems will suffer from a brain disorder.
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, obstructive sleep apnea can lead to increased risk of diabetes, stroke, heart attack and high blood pressure, The Washington Post reported.