The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and circulating tau levels: A meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sleep Medicine
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
• Tau protein is implicated in AD pathogenesis.
• The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and circulating tau is not well understood.

Approach:

• A systematic meta-analysis was conducted using data from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science.
• Circulating total tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated tau (P-tau) levels in OSA and control groups were quantitatively analyzed.
• Standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated to assess the association.

Key Points:

• Seven studies with 306 OSA patients and 233 controls were included.
• Circulating T-tau levels were significantly higher in OSA patients compared to controls (SMD = 1.319).
• Circulating P-tau levels were also significantly elevated in OSA patients (SMD = 0.343).

Conclusions:

• Both T-tau and P-tau are significantly increased in individuals with OSA.
• These findings suggest a potential link between OSA and tau pathology.
• Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm these results.