With the latest evidence of direct relationships between Sleep and healthresearchers found that chronic insomnia can significantly increase the risk of dementia.
That amounts to three years of acceleration Brain aginga study published in Neurology, published by the American Academy of Neurology.
The study followed 2,750 cognitively healthy elderly people, an average of 70 years of age over five and a half years. About 16% of them suffered from chronic insomnia, according to a study press release.
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“Chronic insomnia” is different from those trying to pursue “full sleep,” like those trying to fall, struggle to sleep, or stay asleep, according to Diego Z. Carvalho, MD, research author of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
“Chronic insomnia was associated with a 40% increase in the risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia,” Carvalho, a member of the American Neurology Association, told Fox News Digital.
During the course of the study, 14% of people with chronic insomnia developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia, compared to 10% of people who did not have it. Sleep disorder.
Researchers were surprised to find that participants with chronic insomnia who reported more sleep than usual had fewer white matter spots in their brains. Areas where small vascular diseases may cause damage to brain tissue associated with cerebrovascular disease.
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Additional tests also found that this group had a low thinking skills score. This was after adjusting for other factors such as age, hypertension, sleeping pills, and sleep apnea diagnosis.
“Participants with chronic insomnia, who have been recognized as having reduced sleep durations, had poor brain health. Alzheimer’s disease Cerebrovascular disease,” Carvalho said.
People who had apoeε4 genewhich is associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, it is likely to significantly reduce memory and thinking skills, the study found.
Based on these findings, chronic insomnia could be a potential modifiable risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia, according to Carvalho.
“This strengthens the importance of treating chronic insomnia, not only improving the quality of sleep, but also Protects brain health As he grew older, he said.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst at Fox News in New York, was not involved in the study, but said it showed a “significant link” between lack of sleep and dementia or cognitive disorders.
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“We already know that the brain self-cleans waste during sleep and sleep is restoring brain cells, but we still don’t know if the effects observed here are caused by carelessness from insomnia (at the time of testing) and short-term memory effects,” he told Fox News Digital.
“The real neurodegenerative problems caused by insomnia are likely, but this study has not proven.”
Cognitive decline may be due to insomnia itself or the resulting breakdown of brain function, Siegel added.
Dr. Ernest Lee Murray, a Board Certified Neurologist At Jackson Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, we confirmed that chronic insomnia has long been known to lead to neurological and non-neurological health concerns.
“The study highlights that even a short period of chronic insomnia can lead to potentially harmful cognitive effects later in life,” Murray, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“The study also showed that chronic insomnia appears to alter brain structure by increasing the white matter changes commonly found in vasculopathology patients. Hypertension and diabetes. ”
The study had several limitations, the researchers noted.
“There was no way to assess the severity of insomnia over baseline or time,” Carvalho told Fox News Digital. “There is a lack of vertical purpose sleep data to look at longitudinal estimates of sleep duration.”
The researchers were also unable to coordinate patients who had received treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, such as CPAP therapy.
“We also did not have complete information on how long we used or the dosage of sleeping pills,” Carvalho added.
He also reiterated that the study did not prove that insomnia is the direct cause. Brain agingit’s just that there’s a connection between the two.
Those who suffer from insomnia frequently need to talk to their doctor about eliminating potential medical reasons, Lee advised.
“Treatment may include cognitive behavioral therapy Pharmaceutical therapy It could be an option,” he said.
Researchers recommended adopting better sleep habits, including reducing caffeinated drinks in the afternoon, reducing alcohol consumption, avoiding large-scale diets and exercise before bedtime, and reducing exposure to electronic devices before bedtime.
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Researchers warned that pursuing “perfect sleep” can lead to obsessive tracking of sleep data, which can lead to “performance anxiety.”
“Tracking doesn’t help your sleep – Practices for good sleep He said.
Carvalho also urged caution when it comes to taking the pill for a better sleep.
“Sleeping pills are useful and available for patients with chronic insomnia, but they don’t work very well in the long run if good sleep habits aren’t adopted,” he said. “There is no solution to the problem of poor sleep that doesn’t start with patients doing the right thing.”
Murray reiterated the importance of good sleep hygiene, including not using electronics in beds and limiting the amount of light exposure in the room to improve sleep quality.
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This study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the GHR Foundation, the Mayo Medical Education Research Foundation, and the Sleep Number Corporation to the Mayo Clinic.
