The examine examined how a number of longitudinal measures of sleep disturbances (sleep-initiation insomnia, sleep-maintenance insomnia, sleep-medication utilization) are related to dementia danger.
A latest examine has established a connection between sleep-maintenance insomnia and a lower within the probability of creating dementia whereas sleep-initiation insomnia and using sleep medicine had been related to an elevated danger of dementia.
A latest examine has added to the rising proof connecting sleep disturbances with cognitive impairment. The analysis discovered substantial correlations between three measures of sleep disturbance and the probability of creating dementia over the course of 10 years
In response to a examine revealed within the American Journal of Preventive Medication by Elsevier, people who expertise sleep-initiation insomnia (the lack to go to sleep inside half-hour) and use sleep medicine could also be at a heightened danger for creating dementia. Conversely, the examine discovered that these with sleep-maintenance insomnia (problem returning to sleep after waking) had been much less prone to develop dementia over the course of the investigation.
“We anticipated sleep-initiation insomnia and sleep medicine utilization to extend dementia danger, however we had been stunned to seek out sleep-maintenance insomnia decreased dementia danger,” defined lead investigator Roger Wong, Ph.D., MPH, MSW, an Assistant Professor within the Division of Public Well being and Preventive Medication, SUNY Upstate Medical College, Syracuse, NY, USA. “The motivation behind this analysis was prompted on a private stage. My father has been experiencing persistent sleep disturbances for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic began, and I was concerned how this would affect his cognition in the future. After reading the existing literature, I was surprised to see mixed findings on the sleep-dementia relationship, so I decided to investigate this topic.”
This research is novel because it is the first to examine how long-term sleep disturbance measures are associated with dementia risk using a nationally representative US older adult sample. Previous research has associated REM sleep behavior, sleep deprivation (less than five hours of sleep), and the use of short-acting benzodiazepines with cognitive decline. Their results for sleep-maintenance insomnia support other recent studies using smaller, separate data samples.
This study used 10 annual waves (2011−2020) of prospective data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a longitudinal panel study that surveys a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older within the USA. This study included only people who were dementia-free at baseline in 2011.
There is no cure for dementia and recent pharmaceutical approaches to treat dementia have had limited success, pointing to the importance of preventive approaches to dementia. “By focusing on the variations in sleep disturbances, our findings can help to inform lifestyle changes that can reduce dementia risk,” explained co-investigator Margaret Anne Lovier, MPH, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
While the mechanism for decreased dementia risk among those with sleep-maintenance insomnia is still unknown, the investigators theorize that greater engagement in activities that preserve or increase cognitive reserve may thereby decrease dementia risk.
Recent evidence indicates there is a higher prevalence of sleep disturbances among older adults than among other age groups. This could be attributed to a variety of factors including anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic or warmer nights as a consequence of climate change.
“Older adults are losing sleep over a wide variety of concerns. More research is needed to better understand its causes and manifestations and limit the long-term consequences,” added Dr. Wong. “Our findings highlight the importance of considering sleep disturbance history when assessing the dementia risk profile for older adults. Future research is needed to examine other sleep disturbance measures using a national longitudinal sample, whether these sleep-dementia findings hold true for specific dementia subtypes, and how certain sociodemographic characteristics may interact with sleep disturbances to influence dementia risk.”
Reference: “Sleep Disturbances and Dementia Risk in Older Adults: Findings From 10 Years of National U.S. Prospective Data” by Roger Wong and Margaret Anne Lovier, 26 January 2023, American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2023.01.008
