Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Oct 22, 2026 1 hour, 17 minutes ago
A surprising new study has found that more than half of Long COVID patients experiencing persistent fatigue also have obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially serious breathing disorder that repeatedly interrupts sleep. However, researchers discovered that sleep apnea did not significantly worsen cognitive problems, fatigue, or overall quality of life.
New research reveals unexpectedly high sleep apnea rates among Long COVID patients with fatigue, despite no significant
association with worsening brain fog or quality of life
The findings highlight an overlooked medical condition among people struggling with prolonged symptoms following COVID-19.
Researchers Investigate Hidden Sleep Problems
Researchers from Northwestern Medicine and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, United States, investigated 100 Long COVID patients attending a specialized neurological clinic between January 2024 and September 2025.
Participants had experienced COVID-19 without hospitalization and reported persistent fatigue. None had previously been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea.
Their average age was 46.4 years, and 70 percent were women.
Sleep Apnea Detected in More Than Half
Home sleep testing revealed that 53 percent had obstructive sleep apnea, including 33 percent with mild disease and 20 percent with moderate-to-severe disease.
These rates were substantially higher than estimates for the general American population.
Sleep apnea affected 73.3 percent of male participants and 44.3 percent of female participants. Older age, male sex, and higher body mass index were significantly associated with the disorder.
Unexpected Findings About Brain Fog and Fatigue
Despite widespread sleep apnea, researchers found no significant differences in cognitive performance, fatigue severity, sleep disturbances, or quality of life between patients with and without the condition.
Brain fog affected 97 percent of participants, dizziness affected 74 percent, and headaches affected 67 percent.
Additionally, 79 percent reported depression or anxiety symptoms, while 65 percent experienced insomnia.
Patients had experienced symptoms for approximately 24 months and reported feeling only 27.4 percent recovered.
Importantly, this
Thailand Medical News report highlights that sleep apnea severity and overnight oxygen reductions did not significantly predict cognitive impairment.
However, longer sleep duration was associated with better working memory, with each additional hour corresponding to approximately 2.47 points higher on standardized memory scores after demographic adjustment.
Conclusions and Clinical Implications
The findings suggest that obstructive sleep apnea may frequently coexist with Long COVID without neces
sarily explaining its neurological symptoms.
Nevertheless, identifying moderate-to-severe cases remains important because untreated sleep apnea can cause serious cardiovascular and respiratory complications.
Researchers emphasized that larger studies are needed to determine whether treating sleep apnea improves Long COVID outcomes. The small, specialized patient sample also limits broader conclusions.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: GeroScience.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-026-02604-1
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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