Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 15, 2025
04:53
Author Spotlight: Traditional Chinese Medicine for Sleep Disorders in Acute COPD — A Safe, Cost-Effective Approach
Published on: October 18, 2024
1.1K
Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with the Aging Process
Lucía Pinilla1,2, Fernando Santamaria-Martos3, Iván D Benítez3,2
1Group of Precision Medicine in Chronic Diseases, and.
Annals of the American Thoracic Society
|March 4, 2021
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) accelerates aging hallmarks in younger individuals, but this link weakens with age. This study found OSA is associated with increased aging markers in those under 50.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sleep Medicine
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) shares physiopathologic similarities with aging.
- The impact of OSA on aging may be age-dependent, warranting further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the aging process.
- To determine if this association differs across various age groups.
Main Methods:
- An observational, prospective study of 599 patients with suspected OSA.
- Evaluation of five aging hallmarks: cellular communication (CRP), nutrient sensing (insulin resistance), telomere attrition, mitochondrial dysfunction, and genomic instability (8-OHdG).
- Age-stratified analysis based on apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and median age (50 years).
Main Results:
- A dose-response relationship was observed between OSA severity (AHI, arousal index, nocturnal desaturation) and increased aging hallmarks.
- OSA was linked to elevated aging markers in younger patients (<50 years).
- No significant association between OSA and aging hallmarks was found in older patients (≥50 years).
Conclusions:
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with accelerated aging hallmarks in individuals under 50.
- These associations appear independent of known confounding factors in younger populations.
- The link between OSA and aging markers is less pronounced in older individuals.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Sleep Apnea
304
Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing stops intermittently during sleep, often leading to significant health issues. Each episode can last from 10 to 20 seconds or more and is frequently accompanied by a brief arousal from sleep. This disturbance, largely unnoticed by the individual, can lead to severe daytime fatigue. Commonly, individuals seek help after being informed by their partners about loud snoring and noticeable breathing pauses during sleep.
The condition is more prevalent among...
The condition is more prevalent among...
304
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
3.0K
Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
3.0K
01:26Aging
422
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
422
01:29Bone Disorders
4.8K
Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
4.8K
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
81
As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...
81
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
93
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
93