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Sleep disturbances have been linked to various health issues, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. Now, a growing body of research suggests that disrupted sleep patterns may also be a risk factor for dementia.
Dementia is a condition that affects cognitive functioning, memory, and behavior. It is most commonly associated with aging and can lead to declining quality of life. According to the World Health Organization, dementia affects around 50 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to triple by 2050.
Correlation between sleep disturbance and an increased risk of developing dementia
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has found that the use of sleep medication and difficulty falling asleep are linked to an increased risk of developing dementia over a 10-year period. The study identified three measures of sleep disturbance that were significantly associated with the risk of developing dementia.
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The researchers found that sleep disturbances and insomnia, characterized by difficulty falling asleep within 30 minutes, and sleep medication use were associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. However, they also found that individuals who reported having sleep-maintenance insomnia, characterized by difficulty falling back to sleep after waking up, were less likely to develop dementia during the study.
Lead investigator Roger Wong, an Assistant Professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University in the US, stated that while they expected sleep-initiation insomnia and sleep medication usage to increase the risk of dementia, they were surprised to find that sleep-maintenance insomnia decreased their risk.
Using a nationally representative sample of older adults in the US, this study is the first to examine the association between long-term measures of sleep disturbance and the risk of developing dementia. Previous research has linked cognitive decline to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior, less than five hours of sleep, and the use of short-acting benzodiazepines.
The findings related to sleep-maintenance insomnia are consistent with recent studies that used smaller data samples. The study used data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, a longitudinal panel study that surveys a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older in the US.
The study only included participants who were dementia-free at baseline in 2011. There is currently no cure for dementia, and recent pharmaceutical treatments have had limited success, highlighting the importance of preventive approaches.
Margaret Anne Lovier, a co-investigator from SUNY Upstate Medical University, stated that the study's results could guide lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of developing dementia by examining the differences in sleep disturbances.
Causes of dementia
There are many types of dementia, but one of the most common ones is caused by Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for 60-80% of cases. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles in the brain, leading to brain cell death and cognitive decline.
Another type of dementia is called Vascular dementia. This is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain due to damaged blood vessels from stroke, high blood pressure, or other cardiovascular problems.
Lewy body dementia, another type, is caused by abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies, resulting in hallucinations, movement problems, and changes in attention and alertness.
Frontotemporal dementia is caused by damage to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, leading to changes in behavior, personality, and language skills.
Dementia can also be caused by traumatic brain injuries, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, chronic alcoholism, infections, nutritional deficiencies, and medication side effects.
