Sleepless apnea can increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease – American scientists have determined. However, according to them, there is a way to prevent it.
The study was conducted by scientists from VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon. They analyzed medical data collected for 20 years, on the basis of which they identified 1.6 million people with obstructive sleep apnea and 10 million people without this disease. Then they checked which participants of the study developed Parkinson's disease. They calculated that five years after the diagnosis of apnea, after taking into account the age, sex and health factors, there were 1.8 more cases of Parkinson's disease per 1000 people than in the population of people without apnea.
What is sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder consisting in repeated stops or reduces breath during sleep. It occurs when the muscles of the sleeping person relaxes in a way that blocks the respiratory tract. A sick person often wakes up to get air, is hypoxic, tired, has problems with concentration. Hypertension develops as a result of apnea. It also affects the condition of the brain.
In the case of confirmed diagnosis of sleep apnea, treatment is necessary. CPAP cameras are the basic method of non -invasive therapy of this disorder. Thanks to the injection of compressed air by the mask, which the patient has on the face, the sinking of soft tissues of the throat is eliminated, maintaining open and expensive respiratory tract.
– Obstructive sleep apnea is common, and previous studies have shown that untreated is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. In turn, our study showed that it can increase the risk of Parkinson's disease – emphasized the main author of the study, Dr. Gregory D. Scott. – But the good news is that people can prevent this by using CPAP as soon as they have been diagnosed with this disorder – he added.
In their study, scientists divided the participants who used CPAP (and it was only 10 percent of all patients), into two groups: those who received the CPAP camera within two years of the diagnosis and those who received it after two years. They discovered that the earlier start of CPAP was associated with a lower indicator of Parkinson's incidence (2.3 fewer cases per 100 people).
– It is comforting, therefore, that although obstructive sleep apnea can increase the risk of Parkinson's disease, rapid implementation of treatment with CPAP can effectively reduce them. Further research is needed, but the results are promising – commented the results of Dr. Scott.
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