A NEW study has highlighted the importance of identifying and treating sleep apnoea early, with researchers finding the condition may be linked to poorer memory and an increase in dementia risk factors.
The Monash University research, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, examined almost 2,800 healthy middle-aged adults aged between 40 and 70 as part of the Australian Healthy Brain Project.
Researchers compared participants with and without obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a common sleep disorder where a person’s airway repeatedly narrows or collapses during sleep, causing interruptions to breathing.
The condition is often associated with loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, and can leave people feeling tired even after a full night’s rest.
The study found people with OSA performed worse on memory tasks than those without the condition. However, those who were receiving treatment for sleep apnoea performed similarly to people without the disorder.
Researchers also found people with OSA were more likely to have other dementia risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
While these health factors explained some of the connection between sleep apnoea and memory problems, they did not fully account for the difference, suggesting the sleep disorder itself may play a role in brain health.
Lead researcher and Monash University PhD candidate Gabriel Abdelmessih said the findings reinforced the importance of detecting and managing sleep apnoea earlier in life.
“Sleep apnoea is common, frequently undiagnosed, and highly treatable, yet it is not often considered in discussions about dementia risk,” Mr Abdelmessih said.
“Identifying and managing sleep apnoea in midlife may represent an important opportunity to support long-term brain health.”
Researchers said sleep apnoea often occurs alongside other preventable health risks, and treating these factors together could help support healthier ageing and reduce future dementia risk.
The team will continue investigating whether better management of sleep apnoea and related health conditions can help protect brain function as people age.