Obstructive Sleep Apnea's Damage Evident After 1 Month

In an effort to shed light on the relationship between sleep apnea and brain vessels,
researchers used a novel model that mimics OSA in humans and found that after just 30 days of OSA exposure,cerebral vessel function is altered, which could lead to stroke.
An abstract of their study, entitled "Cerebrovascular Consequences of Obstructive Sleep Apnea," was discussed at the meeting Experimental Biology 2012.

The most common model used to study OSA today is intermittent hypoxia (IH),
which relies solely on exposing test subjects to a decrease in blood oxygen levels.
The new model incorporates all physiological consequences involved in OSA by inducing true apnea (closure of the airway). The revised model creates a more complete picture of the apnea process and one that accurately mimics how OSA unfolds in humans.

Using their model, the researchers induced 30 apneas (10 seconds duration)
per hour for 8 hours during the sleep cycle for up to 1 month. After 1 month of apnea, cerebral vessel dilatory function was reduced by up to 22%. This finding correlates with studies that show similar cell dysfunction in arteries and an increased risk of stroke in OSA patients.