SNORING could be a sign of Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.
Scientists found those with sleep apnoea – a common, chronic condition when your breathing stops which causes gasping, snorting and choking noises – were at increased risk of poor brain health.
Study author Dr Geraldine Rauchs said: "We found that people with amyloid plaques who had more severe sleep apnoeas were more likely to have lower volumes in the medial temporal lobe area of the brain, including the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory and Alzheimer’s disease.
"The people who did not have amyloid plaques did not have this lower brain volume, even if they had severe sleep apnoeas."
Amyloid is a protein found in our brains and bodies.
But in Alzheimer’s disease, it sticks together and forms different sized clumps that later become plaques, according to Alzheimer's UK.
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It is thought to be toxic to brain cells, and the damage and eventual death of these cells is what leads to dementia.
Researchers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, looked at 122 people with an average age of 69 who had no memory problems between 2016 and 2020.
A total of 26 had amyloid plaques – an early sign of Alzheimer's. The rest did not.
Each underwent brain scans, memory tests and at-home overnight sleep monitoring.
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The memory tests were then repeated 21 months later.
In the people with amyloid plaques, having more severe sleep apnoea was associated with potential brain shrinkage.
They had lower brain volume in the medial temporal lobe area, which may suggest loss of brain cells.
This connection was not found in people who did not have amyloid plaques.
Across everyone, lower volumes in the hippocampus (responsible for long-term memory) at the beginning of the study were associated with lower scores on the memory test at the end.
There was no link between sleep apnoea alone at the beginning of the study and memory scores at the end of the study.
The findings, published in the journal Neurology, raise the question of whether treating sleep-disordered breathing could improve cognition, delay neurodegeneration and enhance brain health.
"Our results suggest that some people may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of sleep apnoea," Dr Rauchs said.
"People who are in the very early stages of the Alzheimer’s continuum showed a specific vulnerability to sleep apnoeas."
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The authors together added: "We can speculate that sleep-disordered breathing may exacerbate Alzheimer disease pathology in all participants, but amyloid-negative individuals may not experience it for enough time to exhibit neurodegeneration yet or may be more resilient to the adverse effects than amyloid-positive individuals.
"Further studies should look at whether treating sleep-disordered breathing could potentially improve cognition and prevent or delay neurodegeneration."
What is sleep apnoea?
SLEEP apnoea is when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep.
The most common type is called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
Sleep apnoea needs to be treated because it can lead to more serious problems.
The most common symptoms include:
- Breathing stopping and starting
- Making gasping, snorting or choking noises
- Waking up a lot
- Loud snoring
During the day, you may also:
- Feel very tired
- Find it hard to concentrate
- Have mood swings
- Have a headache when you wake up
If a GP thinks you might have sleep apnoea, they may refer you to a specialist sleep clinic for tests.
When it comes to treatment, the condition can improve by making lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, stopping smoking and reducing alcohol intake.
But many people need to use a device called a CPAP machine, which gently pumps air into a mask you wear over your mouth or nose while you sleep.
Other treatments might involve a gum shield-like device or surgery.
Source: NHS
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