People suffering from sleep apnea are twice as likely to develop dementia, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed for the first time what sleep specialists have long suspected but hadn't proved: Sleep apnea (aka sleep-disordered breathing) can deprive the brain and other organs of the oxygen they need and, may, over time, trigger declines in cognitive ability.

"This is the first study to show that sleep apnea may lead to cognitive impairment," study leader Dr. Kristine Yaffe said in a statement. "It suggests that there is a biological connection between sleep and cognition and also suggests that treatment of sleep apnea might help prevent or delay the onset of dementia in older adults."