American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Apr 2018
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity Affects Amyloid Burden in Cognitively Normal Elderly: A Longitudinal Study.
Recent evidence suggests that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be a risk factor for developing mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. However, how sleep apnea affects longitudinal risk for Alzheimer's disease is less well understood. ⋯ In a sample of cognitively normal elderly, OSA was associated with markers of increased amyloid burden over the 2-year follow-up. Sleep fragmentation and/or intermittent hypoxia from OSA are likely candidate mechanisms. If confirmed, clinical interventions for OSA may be useful in preventing amyloid build-up in cognitively normal elderly.