Sleep Apnea And Link To Dementia

It should come as little surprise that sleep apnea may cause brain damage in some people. This condition which results in chronic mild oxygen deprivation to the brain during sleep has been found in a recent study to cause cognitive impairment in elderly females. About 45 percent of the 105 women who had sleep apnea, which disrupts breathing and causes frequent waking, developed dementia or mild cognitive impairment, compared with 31 percent of the 193 who did not have the condition.

Boston Globe wrote:

Older women who have sleep apnea are more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia, according to a study by a team of researchers including Dr. Susan Redline of Brigham and Women's Hospital. The researchers followed 298 women with a mean …