I was diagnosed with OSA in my fifties, but, in retrospect, had it from childhood, as did most of my family on both sides (undiagnosed at the time, of course.) Moreover, although not overweight until much later in life, I desaturated severely, below 70% every night. Sometimes as low as 60%.
By the time I was in my fifties, I was experiencing seizures from the brain damage caused by the nightly hypoxemia and after three days of neuropsychological tests, tentatively diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimers. At the time of the EOAD diagnosis, I had already been diagnosed with, and was in treatment for, the OSA. But six months into treatment, I was still experiencing the seizures, which was the reason I sought out the neurologist.
The neurologist totally ignored the OSA as the possible cause of the abnormal neuropsychological testing findings. But after the neurologist did genetic testing without my knowledge or consent (illegal in 14 states at the time, and merely unethical in the other 36) I changed neurologists. But the time of the appointment with the second neurologist, the curative effect of totally adherent, effective PAP treatment had started to kick in.
It took about four years to recover and fully “ get my brain back”. But considering that I was trying to rebuild my brain after a life time of nightly damage, perhaps the fact that it took a while to do so, should not have been a surprise.
This happened almost 20 years ago. I’m about to turn 76 and I’m doing fine cognitively.
But I use my PAP machine absolutely EVERY time I sleep. I minimize mask and mouth leaks and have a residual AHI between 0.0 and 0.3.
Even if you have an AHI of only 1, if you want age well, I would recommend getting to a doc who will treat your SA.
