Simple snoring can also reduce the risk of dementia by more than a third, say researchers

Simple snoring can also reduce the risk of dementia by more than a third, say researchers

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Simple snoring can also reduce the risk of dementia by more than a third, say researchers

  • U.S. researchers have conducted a study to find out if treating heavy snorers means they are less likely to get dementia
  • The treatment – Continuous positive airway pressure – involves wearing a mask one night that is connected to a machine that pumps compressed air into the throat.
  • The study found 50,000 patients with sleep apnea and found that those who had the treatment were less likely to develop dementia than those who did not.
  • British experts welcomed the study, but stressed that it did not prove a link between snoring and dementia

By Pat Hagan for the Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

A cheap and simple remedy for snoring can also reduce the risk of dementia by more than a third, researchers have found.

Snorers who had the treatment, called Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), apparently had better protection against the incurable disease.

CPAP involves the use of a night mask attached to a bed machine, which costs around £ 500 and pumps pressure under pressure down the throat.

This prevents soft tissue in the throat from collapsing during sleep.

Scientists believe that the machines can reduce the risk of dementia by increasing the supply of oxygen to the brain.

Up to five million people in Britain, mainly men, snore a lot - a condition called sleep apnea [Stock image]

Up to five million people in Britain, mainly men, snore a lot – a condition called sleep apnea [Stock image]

Up to five million people in Britain, mainly men, snore a lot – a condition called sleep apnea.

It is known to increase blood pressure and the threat of stroke and heart attack. If left untreated, some studies suggest, it also increases the risk of dementia.

U.S. researchers at the University of Michigan wanted to see if treating heavy snorers means they are less likely to get dementia.

They detected 50,000 sleep apnea patients before 2011.

Among those who developed dementia, they compared patients who received CPAP with those who did not.

The results, in the journal Sleep, showed that snorers who use the device every now and then were between 20 and 30 percent less likely to get Alzheimer’s or any other form of dementia.

Among those who wore the mask every night, the risk dropped by 35 percent.

Scientists say the results could benefit millions.

The numbers affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia are expected to rise from 800,000 to 1.2 million in England by 2040.

Dr Galit Levi Dunietz, who led the study, said: ‘We found a significant association between CPAP and a lower risk for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. It can be protective for those with sleep apnea. ‘

Dr Rosa Sancho, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, welcomed the study, but stressed that it is not a serious snoring and that disrupted sleep actually causes dementia.

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