In an electronic health records-based cohort study, OSA appeared to be an independent risk factor for the later development of Parkinson’s disease and could be modified by early treatment with CPAP.
New research reveals that people with untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. However, they can significantly reduce the risk by using CPAP.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology, examined electronic health records covering more than 11 million US military veterans who received care through the Department of Veterans Affairs between 1999 and 2022. The research was led by Oregon Health & Science University and the Portland VA Health Care System.
The new study suggests a heightened risk of people with untreated sleep apnea developing Parkinson’s over the long term.
Even after adjusting to rule out confounding factors like obesity, age, and high blood pressure, the study found a strong link between untreated OSA and Parkinson’s. Among millions of people with OSA, those who didn’t treat the condition with CPAP were nearly twice as likely to have Parkinson’s as those who did.
“It’s not at all a guarantee that you’re going to get Parkinson’s, but it significantly increases the chances,” says co-author Gregory Scott, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pathology in the OHSU School of Medicine and a pathologist for at the VA Portland, in a release.
Lead author Lee Neilson, MD, an assistant professor of neurology at OHSU and a staff neurologist at the Portland VA., says in a release, “If you stop breathing and oxygen is not at a normal level, your neurons are probably not functioning at a normal level either. Add that up night after night, year after year, and it may explain why fixing the problem by using CPAP may build in some resilience against neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s.”
Neilson says he intends to prioritize the health benefits of sound sleep with his patients, especially in view of the research revealing an elevated risk of Parkinson’s.
“I think it will change my practice,” he says.
“The veterans who use their CPAP love it,” he adds. “They’re telling other people about it. They feel better, they’re less tired. Perhaps if others know about this reduction in risk of Parkinson’s disease, it will further convince people with sleep apnea to give CPAP a try.”
