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A new study suggests that people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
However, using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine early after diagnosis might help lower that risk.
These findings were presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 77th Annual Meeting, which will take place in April 2025.
What is sleep apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the muscles in the throat relax too much during sleep, temporarily blocking airflow. This causes people to wake up multiple times during the night to breathe properly. Over time, this disrupted sleep and lower oxygen levels can affect brain health.
CPAP therapy helps by delivering pressurized air through a mask, keeping the airway open so people can breathe easily while they sleep.
The link between sleep apnea and Parkinson’s
Dr. Gregory D. Scott, the study’s author from the VA Portland Health Care System, noted that sleep apnea has already been linked to heart attacks and strokes, but this study adds new concerns about Parkinson’s disease.
The researchers analyzed over 20 years of medical records from nearly 1.6 million veterans with sleep apnea and 10 million veterans without the condition. They found that:
3.4% of people with sleep apnea developed Parkinson’s disease within five years, compared to 3.8% of those without sleep apnea.
After adjusting for age, smoking, and other health factors, they found 1.8 more cases of Parkinson’s per 1,000 people with sleep apnea than in those without it.
Can CPAP lower the risk?
About 10% of the participants with sleep apnea used a CPAP machine, but the timing of when they started treatment made a difference:
People who started CPAP within two years of their sleep apnea diagnosis had a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease—with 2.3 fewer cases per 1,000 people compared to those who did not use CPAP.
Those who started CPAP after two years had a similar risk to people who never used it.
Dr. Scott says these findings are hopeful news because they suggest that early CPAP treatment may help protect brain health.
While this study highlights the potential benefits of CPAP, researchers could not track whether people used their CPAP machine regularly as prescribed. More studies are needed to confirm these results and follow patients over a longer period.
For now, if you have sleep apnea, starting CPAP treatment as soon as possible may not only improve your sleep but also protect your brain in the long run.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that Vitamin B may slow down cognitive decline, and Mediterranean diet could help lower risk of Parkinson’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline, and results showing Plant-based diets could protect cognitive health from air pollution.
Source: KSR.