Sleep apnea syndrome of moderate to severe intensity affects 17 of 50 70 year old men and 9 of 50 70 year old women making sa a notorious and prevalent disorder. Many fluid biomarkers linked to alzheimer s disease and vascular dementia show abnormal levels in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea suggesting that these conditions share common underlying mechanisms including amyloid and tau protein neuropathology inflammation oxidative stress and metabolic disturbances. Sleep Could Be The Missing Link In Dementia Alzheimer S This can lead to poor sleep quality. Sleep apnea and vascular dementia . It is likely that sleep apnea and vascular dementia are linked through reduced oxygen levels. In a study conducted in taiwan people with sleep apnea were found to have a 1 7 times greater risk of developing dementia. On the whole there is still a great deal to be learned about the connections between the different types of dementia and sleep. Obstructive sleep apnoea is a conditi...