Age-related changes in cerebral lactate metabolism in sleep-disordered breathing

Thirty-one patients, aged 22–71 years, with nocturnal apneic episodes and/or habitual snoring were studied with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and diagnostic polysomnography separately to determine whether accumulation of lactate caused by cerebral hypoxia during sleep is associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), aging and co-morbidities related to SDB. Eight proton magnetic resonance spectra for sleep and two for periods of arousal were obtained from the right centrum semiovale. All patients were evaluated for the presence or absence of co-morbidities including hypertension, cardiac disease, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. Significant lactate signals were found in seven patients with obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) during sleep periods, and none during periods of arousal. Aging was significantly related to the presence or absence of significant lactate signals during sleep periods as determined by logistic regression analysis (β=0.2480; 95% confidence interval, 0.0905–0.5094; P=0.0001). Apnea index (AI), apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), and minimum value of peripheral oxyhemoglobin saturation each significantly interacted with age (P=0.0081, 0.0284, and 0.0302, respectively). Our findings suggest that SDB combined with aging is related to accumulation of lactate during sleep.