Associations between risk of Alzheimer's disease and obstructive sleep apnea, intermittent hypoxia, and arousal responses: A pilot study

OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, potential associations among sleep-disordered breathing, hypoxia, and OSA-induced arousal responses should be investigated. This study determined differences in sleep parameters and investigated the relationship between such parameters and the risk of AD. METHODS: Patients with suspected OSA were recruited and underwent in-lab polysomnography (PSG). Subsequently, blood samples were collected from participants. Patients' plasma levels of total tau (T-Tau) and amyloid beta-peptide 42 (Aβ(42)) were measured using an ultrasensitive immunomagnetic reduction assay. Next, the participants were categorized into low- and high-risk groups on the basis of the computed product (Aβ(42) × T-Tau, the cutoff for AD risk). PSG parameters were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: We included 36 patients in this study, of whom 18 and 18 were assigned to the low- and high-risk groups, respectively. The average apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), apnea, hypopnea index [during rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep], and oxygen desaturation index (≥3%, ODI-3%) values of the high-risk group were significantly higher than those of the low-risk group. Similarly, the mean arousal index and respiratory arousal index (R-ArI) of the high-risk group were significantly higher than those of the low-risk group. Sleep-disordered breathing indices, oxygen desaturation, and arousal responses were significantly associated with an increased risk of AD. Positive associations were observed among the AHI, ODI-3%, R-ArI, and computed product. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent sleep-disordered breathing, intermittent hypoxia, and arousal responses, including those occurring during the NREM stage, were associated with AD risk. However, a longitudinal study should be conducted to investigate the causal relationships among these factors.