Sleep apnea tied to cognitive loss in older women

Be Well

August 15, 2011

Older women who have sleep apnea are more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia, according to a study by a team of researchers including Dr. Susan Redline of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The researchers followed 298 women with a mean age of 82, measuring their sleep patterns and cognitive abilities at the start of the study and then measuring cognitive impairment about five years later.

About 45 percent of the 105 women who had sleep apnea, which disrupts breathing and causes frequent waking, developed dementia or mild cognitive impairment, compared with 31 percent of the 193 who did not have the condition. When the researchers used statistical methods to adjust the results for differences in the two groups, including age, race, and disease status, they found that those with sleep apnea were about 85 percent more likely to develop cognitive impairments.

Previous studies have linked sleep apnea to poor cognition. This prospective study found that sleep apnea, and specifically the low levels of oxygen intake it causes, may be a predictor of cognitive loss over time, Redline said.

BOTTOM LINE: Older women with sleep apnea are at greater risk for cognitive impairment.

CAUTIONS: It is not clear whether the results can be applied to the broader population. Also, the measures of sleep apnea were collected in the women’s homes over just one night.

WHERE TO FIND IT: Journal of the American Medical Association, Aug. 10

Soy tablet did not ease symptoms of menopause An increasing number of women looking for relief from menopausal symptoms without the risks of estrogen therapy have turned to alternative treatments, including soy-based products. But a recent study found that a soy supplement was ineffective at reducing bone loss or minimizing symptoms of menopause.

Nearly 250 women, ages 45 to 60, who were within five years of menopause were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or a daily dose of 200 milligrams of isoflavones extracted from soy protein.

The researchers monitored the women for bone loss and dozens of other effects of menopause. Those taking the soy tablets were no more likely to maintain bone density and they experienced similar levels of insomnia, loss of libido, vaginal dryness, and other symptoms after two years. A greater proportion of women on the tablets had hot flashes at the end of the study: 48 percent, compared with 32 percent of those taking the placebo.

BOTTOM LINE: A soy-derived supplement did not reduce bone loss or improve symptoms, such as hot flashes, in this group of menopausal women.

CAUTIONS: More women than expected dropped out of the study. Participants, who were mostly white, could have been less susceptible to bone loss than the general population, making it difficult for researchers to detect the effects of the supplement.

WHERE TO FIND IT: Archives of Internal Medicine, Aug. 8

CHELSEA CONABOY

Chelsea Conaboy can be reached at cconaboy@boston.com.

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