Sleep Apnea Tied to Mood Disorders

JAMA Otolaryngology recently published an article after following 985 participants diagnosed with sleep apnea.  Over a nine-year period, these individuals were 3 times as likely to develop depression.  This article questions the mechanism, but perfusion and oxygenation are core principles in my mind.  At DCIM, we are always thinking about how tissues are receiving oxygen. If you have a hiccup in your breathing mechanisms then you will not oxygenate your brain, and if you do not oxygenate your brain — guess what?  It won’t work! This is a hugely important root cause of brain disease.