Research has indicated a popular medication may increase dementia risks. According to a report, the new study says you may wish to think twice about reaching for certain prescribed meds.
While sleeping medication can be a sanity saver for some sufferers, according to research carried out by the University of California-San Francisco, taking the sleeping aids regularly could hike your risk of dementia by a staggering 79%.
The research was reported by the Mirror, which said medications including Benzos, Ambien, and antidepressants, may increase the risk of developing the syndrome, especially among people who are white. However, type and quantity of medication seemed to be a significant factor.
The research should be read as a whole as the findings differ from person to person and individual circumstances and background. Anyone taking such medication and reading this should talk to their own doctor if they are worried about the effects of their medication.
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The Health, Ageing and Body Composition study looked at around three thousand older adults without dementia, who lived outside of nursing homes, for a nine-year period. Around 42% were black and 58% white. During the study, unfortunately 20% of patients went on to develop dementia.
It was 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. Likewise black participants - whose reliance on sleeping medication was much lower – were still linked to a higher risk through frequent use.
Lead author Yue Leng said: "Differences may be attributed to socio-economic status. Black participants who have access to sleep medications might be a select group with high socio-economic status and, thus, greater cognitive reserve, making them less susceptible to dementia. It's also possible that some sleep medications were associated with a higher risk of dementia than others."
Researchers discovered that white people were three times more likely to take sleeping pills on a regular basis, compared to black people in the study. This included anything from medication prescribed for chronic insomnia to 'Z-drugs' - so-called because the names of many of the first of these drugs to be marketed begin with the letter 'Z'.
The research team is now hoping further studies might be able to offer further clarity on the cognitive risks - or rewards - of sleep medications and the role that race may play.
But Leng says patients with poor sleep should think twice before considering pharmaceutical intervention. The researcher added: "The first step is to determine what kind of sleep issues patients are dealing with. If insomnia is diagnosed, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT) 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."
Dementia describes a cluster of symptoms associated with ongoing cognitive decline. Research published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease discovered that white people had a 79% higher risk of developing dementia when on sleeping meds.
5 ways to lower your dementia risk
Keeping physically and mentally active, and getting enough sleep are among five ways to reduce the risk of developing dementia by a fifth, says a top professor. Prof Sir Muir Gray, says that while genetic factors are out of our control, we can still help ourselves. He said: “Dementia is a terrifying prospect, but we can all reduce our risk and should act now;"
1. Keep mind and body active: avoid sitting still and take regular exercise such as walking; keep mentally fit by reading and learning something new.
2. Keep weight, blood sugar and blood pressure down: eat a diet packed with fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and pulses.
3. Stop smoking: singly the greatest way to damage your health.
4. Sleep better and learn to relax and reduce stress: you don’t need less sleep as you grow older, but more.
5. Engage with others: become a volunteer and join online social groups.
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