Risk of Alzheimer's Disease in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients With or Without Treatment: Real-World Evidence

Objective: To assess the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with or without treatment based on real-world evidence. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with OSA during 1997–2012 were identified using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. Patients without OSA were randomly selected and matched in a 1:4 ratio by age, sex, urbanization level, and income. All patients were followed up until death or the end of 2013. The primary outcome was AD occurrence. Results: This study included 3,978 OSA patients and 15,912 non-OSA patients. OSA was independently and significantly associated with a higher incidence of AD in an adjusted Cox proportional hazard model (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27–3.56). The average period of AD detection from the time of OSA occurrence was 5.44 years (standard deviation: 2.96). Subgroup analyses revealed that the effect of OSA remained significant in patients aged ≥60 years, male subgroups, patients without CPAP or surgical treatment, and patients without pharmacological therapies. Patients with OSA who received treatment (continuous positive airway pressure or surgery) exhibited a significantly reduced risk of AD compared with those without treatment (incidence rate ratio 0.23, 95% CI, 0.06–0.98). Conclusion: OSA is independently associated with an increased risk of AD. Treatment for OSA reduces the AD risk in OSA patients. AD irreversibility renders OSA as a potential modifiable target for slowing or preventing the process of AD development. Level of Evidence: IV Laryngoscope, 130:2292–2298, 2020.