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Ran Dahan/TPS-IL on 8 April, 2024
More Than Snoring: Scientists Link Sleep Apnea To Muscle And Bone Damage
Jerusalem, 20 April, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- A common sleep disorder that often goes unnoticed may be doing more than disrupting rest. An Israeli study suggests that obstructive sleep apnea could be silently damaging muscle quality and bone strength, raising the risk of frailty later in life.
The findings come from research conducted at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Beer-Sheva’s Soroka University Medical Center. Scientists found a significant link between obstructive sleep apnea and reduced skeletal muscle quality, adding to evidence that the condition affects far more than sleep alone.
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. The most common form, obstructive sleep apnea, occurs when throat muscles relax too much, causing the airway to narrow or collapse and temporarily block airflow.
Each pause in breathing causes oxygen levels in the blood to drop, prompting brief awakenings that restore breathing. These interruptions are usually so short that people do not remember them, but they can occur dozens or even hundreds of times per night.
As a result, sleep is repeatedly fragmented, and people often wake feeling unrefreshed. Symptoms commonly include loud snoring, choking or gasping during sleep, morning headaches, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Beyond fatigue, untreated sleep apnea is linked to serious health conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke risk, and metabolic changes affecting weight regulation. The condition is estimated to affect around one billion adults worldwide.
Effects on Muscle And Bone
According to the Israeli study, its impact also extends to the musculoskeletal system. Published in the peer-reviewed Sleep and Breathing journal, the findings suggest reduced muscle strength, poorer muscle composition, and lower bone density, all of which increase the risk of fractures and physical decline with age.
The study was led by Prof. Ariel Tersiuk, Prof. Ilan Shelef, and Dr. Sharon Daniel, together with medical student Samuel Francis. The team analyzed CT scans originally taken for unrelated medical reasons, combining them with sleep study data from Soroka’s clinical databases to assess bone and muscle health without additional testing or radiation exposure.
The analysis found that age and body weight were the strongest factors associated with lower skeletal muscle density, reflecting both reduced muscle mass and poorer muscle quality.
According to the study, obstructive sleep apnea affects muscles and bones mainly because of repeated drops in oxygen during sleep, broken sleep cycles, and the stress these place on the body over time. Repeated interruptions in breathing during the night can strain cells and lead to ongoing low-level inflammation, which interferes with the body’s normal processes for maintaining and repairing bone and muscle tissue.
The findings build on earlier research by the same group published in Scientific Reports in 2022, which linked obstructive sleep apnea to decreased bone density.
The study points to practical applications in earlier detection and improved risk screening. Researchers suggest that CT scans already performed in routine care could be used to identify early signs of muscle and bone deterioration, helping flag at-risk patients before significant decline occurs.
More broadly, the results support integrating sleep data, imaging, and medical records to improve risk assessment and enable more personalized care.
“Obstructive sleep apnea is much more than snoring,” said Tersiuk. “Without early diagnosis and treatment, it is a disease that can lead to fractures, reduced muscle function, and even loss of independence.”
