Could Treating Sleep Apnea be the Secret Fountain of Youth?

The Study

According to Rene Cortese, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Child Health and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, University of Missouri School of Medicine, “Age acceleration isn’t unique to OSA — it can be caused by a variety of environmental factors like smoking, poor diet or pollution. In Western culture, it’s not uncommon for people to experience epigenetic age acceleration, but we wanted to know how OSA affects systemic age acceleration compared to those who don’t suffer from this condition.”

Age acceleration testing is a blood examination that evaluates DNA and computes a person’s biological age using an algorithm. Epigenetic age acceleration, which is related to chronic illnesses and total mortality, is the situation when a person’s biological age exceeds their chronological age.

To determine how OSA affects epigenetic age acceleration over a year, Cortese’s team analyzed 16 adult nonsmokers who were diagnosed with the illness. They contrasted them with eight control volunteers who didn’t have the disorder. The OSA group had CPAP therapy for a year following a baseline blood examination before being retested.

As per Cortese’s observations, OSA-induced sleep interruptions and reduced oxygen levels while sleeping accelerated biological aging more quickly than in the control group. The epigenetic aging, however, slowed down in OSA patients who used CPAP consistently, but the control group’s age acceleration tendencies remained unchanged. According to the findings, when appropriate OSA therapy is put in place, biological age acceleration may be at least partially reversed.

According to Cortese, consistent use of the machine for at least four hours each night is the secret to CPAP’s efficacy in reducing the aging process. It’s still unclear how age acceleration may impact clinical results, how it might apply to other risk categories, and whether it will affect kids who have OSA.

The Treatments

Sleep apnea sufferers can hold on to hope that there’s a treatment that can help them find the fountain of youth. Our Jeffersonville sleep apnea dentists offer two solutions that can be effective in relieving sleep apnea symptoms so that you can finally get a good night’s rest.

• CPAP Machine – The Continuous Positive Air Pressure machine is the traditional treatment method for patients with sleep apnea. The machine maintains an open airway while you sleep by blowing air into your airway that’s administered through a mask. Although effective, even for severe sleep apnea cases, the CPAP machine can be noisy and cumbersome to clean.
• Oral Appliance – An oral appliance is similar to a mouthpiece that you would wear for contact sports, although it is adjustable for repositioning the jaw. Wearing the appliance while you sleep aligns your jaw and prevents your tongue from sliding into your throat and blocking the airway. Most patients prefer an oral appliance because it’s compact, easy to clean, and travels well. However, not every patient will achieve success using an oral appliance.

Sleep Apnea Treatment in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Louisville and Shepherdsville, Kentucky

Sleep apnea is a chronic condition that can cause multiple health concerns. There is a multitude of research studies that illustrate the dangers and how you can protect yourself. Our Shepherdsville sleep apnea dentists encourage you to schedule a consultation at Exceptional Dentistry to find out more about sleep apnea, your current status, and effective treatment options. Please call our office at (502) 423-7868 or contact us online to request a consultation today.