Barchester News

Cpap treatment 'may benefit Alzheimer's sufferers'
11/12/2008
The benefits of continuous positive airway pressure (Cpap) treatment could help patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a report this week.

The benefits of continuous positive airway pressure (Cpap) treatment could help patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a report this week.

American scientists looked at 52 men and women with both obstructive sleep apnoea and Alzheimer's, finding that the onset of dementia may be much quicker due to sleep apnoea's negative effect on cognitive function.

Sonia Ancoli-Israel, leader of the study and professor of psychiatry at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, said: "Any intervention that improves cognition in patients with Alzheimer's disease is likely to result in greater independence for the patient and less burden on their caretakers."

A Cpap machine is worn over the mouth or nose and provides pressurised air for those suffering from sleep difficulties, opening airways and preventing the pauses in breathing that are commonly associated with sleep apnoea.

Roughly 60,000 deaths a year are attributed to Alzheimer's disease, with the condition costing over £17 billion a year.

Furthermore, 64 per cent of those living in care homes have some form of dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Society.

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