- Sleep disturbances, which are common as people get older, have been associated with an increased risk of all types of dementia.
- According to the CDC, more than 10% of older adults in the United States take medications most days to help them sleep.
- A new study has found that, particularly in white people, frequent use of sleep medications may increase the risk of dementia.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
As we age, we are more likely to experience sleep disorders. These sleep changes may include any of the following:
- Decreased total sleep time at night
- Taking longer to fall asleep
- Falling asleep earlier and waking earlier
- Less slow-wave sleep
- Less rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep
- Being more prone to disturbance and frequent waking
- Napping during the day.
So, many older people take medications to try and improve the quality of their sleep.
However, for some, these medications may be doing more harm than good, according to new research from the University of California, San Francisco.
The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, concludes that frequent use of sleep medication increases the risk of dementia, particularly in white people.
“We’ve known for a while that certain sleep medications like benzodiazepines are associated with an increased risk of dementia. This is novel research in a diverse cohort followed longitudinally.”
— Dr. Percy Griffin, Alzheimer’s Association director of scientific engagement.
The study looked at the use of several different sleep medications, from over-the-counter antihistamines to prescription drugs such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines.
The researchers recruited a random sample of 3,068 Black and white men and women ages 70–79, none of whom had a dementia diagnosis. The participants were…
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