Scientists suspect that repeated nightly drops in oxygen put long-term strain on neurons, potentially contributing to neurodegeneration. The results highlight how something as simple as improving sleep quality may offer powerful protection against conditions once thought largely inevitable with age.

Sleep Apnea Linked to Higher Parkinson’s Risk
New findings indicate that individuals who leave obstructive sleep apnea untreated face a greater likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease. Improving sleep quality through the use of continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, can meaningfully lower this risk.

The work, published today (November 24) in JAMA Neurology, analyzed electronic health records from more than 11 million U.S. military veterans who received care through the Department of Veterans Affairs between 1999 and 2022.

Scientists from Oregon Health & Science University and the Portland VA Health Care System led the investigation.

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disorder that affects roughly 1 million people in the United States, and the odds of developing it gradually increase with age, particularly after 60.

Age-Related Rise in Parkinson’s Cases
The new research points to a long-term elevation in Parkinson’s risk among people whose sleep apnea goes untreated.

After accounting for factors such as obesity, age, and high blood pressure, investigators still identified a clear association between untreated sleep apnea and Parkinson’s. In this large population of veterans with sleep apnea, those who did not use CPAP had nearly twice the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s compared with individuals who used the therapy.