Apnea‐associated hypoxemia is linked to greater tau deposition in women with Alzheimer’s disease risk

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by recurrent pharyngeal airway collapse and drops in blood oxygen levels that lead to intermittent hypoxemia. OSA has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, including tau. AD is more prevalent in women, and women tend to have higher levels of tau compared to men. OSA is underdiagnosed, particularly in postmenopausal women where OSA risk is similar to men. We conducted a pilot study examining the relationship between OSA and tau using positron emission tomography (PET) in older women at higher risk for AD who participated in the Women Inflammation and Tau Study (WITS).