Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) affects 22 million people in the US and is linked with increased risks for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, stroke and other chronic conditions. Researchers have discovered that left untreated OSA hastens biological aging which may be reversed or at least slowed with appropriate interventions.
Examining age acceleration involves conducting a blood DNA analyzing blood test with an algorithm for measuring biological age of an individual, or its exceeding of chronological age – known as epigenetic age acceleration which has been linked with chronic diseases and higher mortality rates.
Age acceleration isn’t exclusive to obstructive sleep apnea; it can also result from pollution, poor diet or smoking. Although individuals in Western culture commonly experience epigenetic age acceleration, researchers studied how having OSA impacts systemic age acceleration relative to those not suffering from it.
Researchers conducted an in-depth investigation on 16 nonsmokers diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea who were compared with 8 control individuals without it, in order to examine its impact on epigenetic age acceleration over an 11 month period. Following a baseline blood test at baseline, those in the obstructive sleep apnea group underwent continuous positive airway pressure treatment for one year before being tested again after another blood draw at 12 month mark.
Study results demonstrated that lower oxygen levels and sleep disruptions caused by obstructive sleep apnea while sleeping increased biological age acceleration compared to its control group counterpart. Individuals adhering to continuous positive airway pressure treatment showed epigenetic age deceleration while there was no change in age acceleration trends for controls; this suggested that successful implementation of obstructive sleep apnea treatment may at least partially reverse biological age acceleration trends.
Researchers concluded that to be effective at slowing age acceleration through continuous positive airway pressure therapy is to use their devices at least four hours each night for at least four consecutive hours – which must include nightly use for a minimum of 4 hours a minimum of 4.
