- People with obstructive sleep apnea may have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, but early use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy could help lower that risk.
- A large-scale study of veterans found that those who began CPAP treatment within 2 years of their diagnosis had fewer cases of Parkinson’s compared to those who delayed or did not use the therapy.
- The findings, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 77th Annual Meeting, highlight the potential benefits of early intervention for sleep apnea patients.
In this new preliminary study, researchers suggest that individuals with obstructive sleep apnea face a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
However, early use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy may help reduce this risk.
The findings, set to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 77th Annual Meeting — between April 5–9, 2025, in San Diego and online — indicate that starting CPAP within 2 years of a sleep apnea diagnosis lowers the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s.
This research has not yet undergone a peer-review process or appeared in print.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when throat muscles relax during sleep, blocking the airway and causing repeated awakenings to restore breathing. This disruption can reduce oxygen levels and impact brain function.
CPAP therapy delivers pressurised air through a mask, keeping the airway open throughout sleep.
The researchers point out that obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition, and previous studies have linked untreated cases to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The latest findings suggest an increased likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease, but the authors emphasize that early intervention with CPAP therapy could help mitigate this risk.
To investigate further, the research team analyzed over 2 decades of medical records, comparing nearly 1.6 million veterans diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea to a control group of almost 10 million veterans without the condition.
They then examined which participants went on to develop Parkinson’s disease.
Out of those with sleep apnea, 5,284 people (3.4%) were diagnosed with Parkinson’s within 5 years. In comparison, 37,873 people (3.8%) in the group without sleep apnea received a Parkinson’s diagnosis in the same period.
However, the researchers warned that these numbers might be affected by other factors, such as age, smoking history, and differences in how long people lived in each group.
To refine their analysis, researchers assessed Parkinson’s disease rates 5 years after a sleep apnea diagnosis.
After accounting for variables including age, sex, and health factors like smoking, they found that people with sleep apnea experienced 1.8 additional cases of Parkinson’s per 1,000 individuals compared to those without the condition.
These individuals were further classified into two groups — those who started using a CPAP machine within 2 years of their diagnosis and those who began treatment later.
The researchers observed that individuals who began CPAP treatment more than two years after their sleep apnea diagnosis had similar Parkinson’s disease rates to those who did not use CPAP at all, with 9.5 and 9 cases per 1,000 people, respectively.
However, those who initiated CPAP therapy within two years of diagnosis showed a reduced risk, with 2.3 fewer cases per 1,000 people compared to those who did not use CPAP.
The researchers emphasised the need for future research to track individuals more closely after diagnosis and over extended periods to better understand the long-term impact.
One limitation of the study was the inability to confirm whether participants adhered to prescribed CPAP use, as only device ownership was documented.
Two experts, not involved in this research, spoke to Medical News Today.
Michael Thorpy, MB, ChB, professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore, said that “sleep apnea is a disorder that is associated with severe medical consequences including cerebral hypoxemia, cognitive, cardiovascular and metabolic disturbances.”
“This abstract suggests that sleep apnea can be associated with neuronal changes that are associated with Parkinsons disease. This research suggests that early treatment by CPAP may reduce the risk of developing PD,” he pointed out.
“This study adds to the evidence that sleep apnea is a major risk factor for many medical and neurological disorders and that early treatment may mitigate the development of these disorders. This reinforces the importance of early recognition and treatment of sleep apnea.”
– Michael Thorpy, MB, ChB
Thorpy added that “further research is necessary to confirm the findings, and to understand why Parkinson neuropathology, such as substantia nigra degeneration, might be precipitated by the pathological consequences of sleep apnea.”
He noted that:
“Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes in both gray and white matter have been detected in patients with sleep apnea, but whether these changes are associated with the substantia nigra needs further study. Sleep apnea animal models might be able to answer some of these questions.”
Daniel Truong, MD, a neurologist and the medical director of the Truong Neuroscience Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, editor in chief of the Journal of Clinical Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, told MNT that “this study provides compelling evidence regarding the association between obstructive sleep apnea and Parkinson’s disease, highlighting the potential of CPAP therapy to mitigate this risk when initiated early.”
“The findings suggest that addressing OSA not only improves sleep quality but may also serve as a preventive measure against the development of PD and related conditions,” Truong explained.
In addition, “the use of a large dataset from the VA enhances the reliability and applicability of the results, making it a valuable contribution to the field of neurology and sleep medicine.”
