ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, SportsSleep Apnea, Your Brain and Stroke

New research reveals new information on sleep apnea, the brain and stroke.

A new study links sleep apnea to so-called silent strokes, in which there is tissue death in the brain without symptoms.

Sleep apnea is a disorder marked by abnormal pauses in breathing during sleep.

In another new study, researchers found that rapid memory loss before a stroke boosts the risk of the stroke being fatal.

According to the American Stroke Association, stroke affects 795,000 Americans annually.