Summary of Sleep Medications May Increase Your Chances of Dementia:
A study by the University of California, San Francisco found that sleep medications increase the risk of dementia in white older adults not living in nursing homes. The type and amount of medication may also play a role in increasing the risk. The study followed approximately 3,000 older adults over a period of nine years, with 42% being black and 58% being white. The study found that white participants who often or almost always took sleep medications had a 79% higher chance of developing dementia compared to those who never or rarely used them. The researchers propose that patients with poor sleep should hesitate before considering medications and a sleep test may be required if sleep apnea is a possibility.
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Do Sleep Medications Increase Your Chances of Dementia?
For years, scientists have investigated whether sleep medications can impact cognitive health in older adults. Recently, a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found that sleep medications increase the risk of dementia in white older adults who are not living in nursing homes. The study followed approximately 3,000 older adults with an average age of 74 over a period of nine years, with 42% being black and 58% being white.
While the study’s findings offer compelling insights, there is still much to consider before drawing definitive conclusions about the relationship between sleep medications and cognitive health.
Factors Influencing the Risk of Dementia
According to the study’s authors, the type and amount of medication may play a role in increasing the risk of dementia associated with sleep aids. The study found that white participants who “often” or “almost always” took sleep medications had a 79% higher chance of developing dementia compared to those who “never” or “rarely” used them. For black participants, whose consumption of sleep aids was markedly lower, frequent users had a similar likelihood of developing dementia as those who abstained or rarely used the medications.
“Differences may be attributed to socioeconomic status,” said first author Yue Leng, PhD, of the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences. “Black participants who have access to sleep medications might be a select group with high socioeconomic status and, thus, greater cognitive reserve, making them less susceptible to dementia.”
The researchers found that whites were more likely to use benzodiazepines like Halcion, Dalmane, and Restoril, prescribed for chronic insomnia, than blacks. Whites were also more likely to take trazodone, an antidepressant known by the trade names of Desyrel and Oleptro, which may also be prescribed as a sleep aid. And they were more than seven times as likely to take “Z-drugs,” such as Ambien, a so-called sedative-hypnotic.
The study’s authors suggest that more research is needed to determine the cognitive risks or rewards of sleep medications and the role that race may play in dementia development.
Consider Alternatives to Sleep Medication
While the study findings are concerning, patients with poor sleep should hesitate before considering medications, according to Leng.
“The first step is to determine what kind of sleep issues patients are dealing with. A sleep test may be required if sleep apnea is a possibility,” she said. “If insomnia is diagnosed, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is the first-line treatment. If medication is to be used, melatonin might be a safer option, but we need more evidence to understand its long-term impact on health.”
As such, it is crucial that patients take the time to discuss their treatment options with healthcare professionals before resorting to sleep medications. Ultimately, understanding the risks associated with sleep aids and exploring alternative treatment options can help patients safeguard their cognitive health and overall well-being.
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