About 31 percent of women without sleep apnea developed cognitive impairment. Whatever may be happening, the results of the study could change how doctors and patients view sleep apnea and other sleeping disorders, said the study authors and other researchers.
Dr. Marci Teresi, clinical lead of the Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Memory Clinic, said she often tests dementia patients for sleep apnea and other sleeping disorders. Older women who have sleep apnea may be more likely to develop memory problems and dementia, according to a new study.
Seva Polotsky, a sleep apnea researcher from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said it's important nonetheless that people with sleep apnea follow whatever treatment regimen their doctor recommends. When a person stops breathing during sleep, blood-oxygenation levels fall. The study examined women with moderate sleep apnea—15 or more breathing stoppages per hour—so the cognitive impact among those with milder sleep apnea wasn't clear, said Amy Aronsky, medical director for the Center for Sleep Disorders in Longview, Wash., who wasn't involved with the study.