- News
- Health
A new study has found that people with sleep apnoea could be nearly twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease
Harriette BoucherSaturday 29 November 2025 13:36 GMTComments
CloseParkinson’s patient plays clarinet during surgery and sees instant results
Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health
Get our free Health Check email
Get our free Health Check email
Email*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
A common sleep condition which affects millions of Britons is linked to a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, new research has revealed.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), scientists found that people with sleep apnoea, a condition which causes breathing problems when you sleep, were nearly twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease as those who didn’t.
But researchers said that early treatment of the disorder could slash the risk of developing the disease, which affects a person’s movement with tremors, muscle stiffness and slow movement, with 28,000 Britons diagnosed each year.
Scientists said that effective screening measures and consistent use of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines, which are worn as a mask to deliver continuous air through the mouth or nose to help prevent drops in oxygen, could have “large impacts on the brain”.
open image in galleryThose who used a CPAP machine within 2 years of a sleep apnoea diagnosis were nearly 30 per cent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease (Getty Images/iStockphoto)The findings come from a study that analysed the medical records of more than 11 million US veterans collected between 1999 and 2022. It found that 14 per cent of the group had been diagnosed with sleep apnoea.
Looking at their health nearly six years after a diagnosis, the researchers found that those who had sleep apnoea were nearly twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
The study also found that the participants who used CPAP machines, the most common treatment for the condition, within two years of receiving a diagnosis were almost 30 per cent less likely to develop the condition.
open image in galleryAround 28,000 people are diagnosed within Parkinson’s disease each year in the UK (Alamy/PA)The study’s authors suggested that the link between sleep apnoea and Parkinson’s could be due to long-term oxygen deprivation damaging the function of brain cells and contributing to Parkinson’s disease.
Previous research has also linked oxygen deprivation caused by sleep apnoea to a higher risk of dementia.
Parkinson’s disease diagnoses are continuing to rise in the UK. Currently, around 166,000 have a diagnosis, which is expected to hit 173,000 by 2030. Parkinson’s UK charity estimates that thousands of people are unknowingly living with the condition.
A study released in October estimates that more than 20,000 people in the UK may be living with the condition undiagnosed.
open image in gallery(Alamy/PA) (Parkinson's UK expects diagnosis numbers to rise)The charity warned that a "painfully slow" NHS backlog, which was worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic, has left thousands in uncertainty.
Caroline Rassell, chief executive of Parkinson’s UK, said: “The painfully long Covid backlog, and slow recovery of neurology services, has left thousands of people with Parkinson’s struggling to be seen.
“Some people are waiting five years to see a neurologist.
“All too often we hear they are bounced between services, in a state of uncertainty, fearing the worst whilst they wait for a diagnosis.”
More about
sleep apnoeaStudyParkinson'sJamaresearchersdiagnosisJoin our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
