How Serious Is Sleep Apnea?

Snoring isn’t just annoying — it could signal a dangerous health issue. Here’s how to spot the warning signs, plus what to do to feel better

Adam Rosenbluth, M.D.,

AARP

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Published January 05, 2026

I’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Is it serious?

Your question reminds me of a patient I’ll call Alex, a man in his 70s who came to see me recently, convinced he had a heart problem. He described feeling short of breath, drained of energy and mentally foggy. Yet when his cardiac tests came back normal, something didn’t add up. That’s when I began to suspect sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.

A pulmonologist confirmed the condition, and Alex began using a CPAP machine, a device that delivers a continuous stream of air through a mask worn over the nose and mouth. His life changed dramatically: His fatigue lifted, his thinking cleared, and he even decided to postpone his planned retirement.

Sleep apnea is far more than an annoying snore. It’s a medical condition that can affect nearly every system in your body. It’s also surprisingly common. In fact, a 2023 analysis of previous studies in adults found that nearly 36 percent of people age 60 and over had obstructive sleep apnea. And according to a 2025 analysis of studies, obstructive sleep apnea is linked to a 45 percent higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. So yes, sleep apnea can be serious, especially if untreated. But here’s the good news: It’s highly treatable.

Let’s start with what’s actually happening. There are two types of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common one, occurs when the muscles in your throat relax during sleep, narrowing or blocking your airway. When oxygen levels drop, your brain wakes you just enough to gasp or snort. Then the cycle repeats, sometimes dozens or even hundreds of times a night. The second type, central sleep apnea, is less common and involves your brain failing to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Some people have a mix of both.

Why does this happen more as we age? A few reasons. Our throat muscles lose tone, weight tends to creep up, and in women, the protective hormonal effects of estrogen and progesterone diminish after menopause. Men have a higher risk overall, but postmenopausal women quickly catch up. Family history, nasal or throat structure and medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease also play a role. Medications such as sedatives, opioids and muscle relaxants can loosen throat muscles further, and worsen the apnea.

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Left untreated, sleep apnea doesn’t just leave you tired, it increases your risk of high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, heart attack, stroke, insulin resistance, weight gain and cognitive decline. Over time, this nightly stress can injure blood vessels and brain cells, contributing to long-term health complications.

But a diagnosis is easier than ever. The gold standard remains a sleep study performed overnight in a lab, where your brain waves, oxygen and breathing are monitored. There are also at-home tests that can accurately identify moderate to severe sleep apnea. Ask your doctor if home testing is right for you.

If you are wondering whether you might have sleep apnea, a simple self-screen acronym called STOP-BANG can help: Snore loudly, Tired during the day; Observed pauses in breathing, Pressure (high blood pressure), Body mass index over 35, Age over 50, Neck circumference (over 17 inches in men or 16 in women), Gender (male). The more boxes you check, the higher your risk, and the more reason to speak with your doctor.

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Remember, treatment is highly effective, and CPAP machines are quieter and more comfortable than ever. Other options include dental appliances that reposition your jaw, positional therapy (sleeping on your side), weight loss medications and lifestyle changes such as losing weight, exercising and avoiding alcohol before bed. For patients who cannot tolerate the CPAP treatment, an implantable device that prevents airway obstruction is another option.

The bottom line is this: Sleep apnea is common, diagnosable and treatable. If you’ve been told that you snore or stop breathing during your sleep, or you wake up tired or have high blood pressure that’s hard to control, don’t shrug it off. Getting tested could change, and even save, your life. It’s a wake-up call worth answering.

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