Posted on 02/03/2023 2:05:00 PM PST by ConservativeMind
A new study shows that sleep medications increase the risk of dementia for people who are white. But the type and quantity of the medication may be factors in explaining the higher risk.
Approximately 3,000 older adults without dementia were followed over an average duration of nine years.
During the study, 20% developed dementia. 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. Among Black participants—whose consumption of sleep aids was markedly lower—frequent users had a likelihood of developing dementia similar to those who abstained or rarely used the medications.
The researchers found that people who are white, at 7.7%, were three times as likely as people who are Black, at 2.7%, to take sleep medications "often" (five to 15 times a month), or "almost always" (16 times a month to daily). Whites were almost twice as likely to use benzodiazepines, like Halcion, Dalmane and Restoril, prescribed for chronic insomnia.
People who are white were also 10 times as 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.
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."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
My wife has been taking Ambien for about 10 years. She has 5-6 autoimmune disorders and without it, she would never get a good night’s sleep because of the constant discomfort/pain. Not ideal, but very much needed.
After I was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, it was constantly on my mind 24/7 for about 2-3 years. Ambien was a Godsend that allowed me to sleep at night.
I still take it on occasion if I haven’t slept well for a couple of nights. What has been a huge help is purchasing a Chilipad which keeps me from overheating at night, and tossing and turning all night; especially since we have a Sleep Number bed. Anyone who tosses and turns because of “sleeping hot” should get one. Not cheap, but a huge game-changer.
Sometimes I take 1/4 of a melatonin pill before bed. Works great. But taking as much as 1/2 of a pill ... headache and nausea the next morning.
“I wonder how those meds stack up against the effect of chronic lack of sleep on developing cognitive disorders?”
I think there are a whole lot of things in play. For thousands of years people worked hard gathering food during the day, and at night, it was dark, and they slept. Probably they slept well as they worked so hard. Then, we entered the industrial age and instead of physical work we did mental work, which is tiring, but not the same kind of tired as physical labor. Also, instead of, for most part, living in a pastoral setting we have the politics of work relationships, homeowners’ associations, lawsuits and all sorts of worries we didn’t have for most of our evolution. Throw on top of that nobody I knew when I worked went to bed before eleven. Most were still working hard at home during hours when our ancestors were fast asleep. I don’t think we are adapted to the lifestyle we are living. Throw on top of that that we are living longer than most of our ancestors and I’m sure that adds another layer of issues.
Likewise...just 1/4 of a 1 mg tablet the max I can tolerate w/out dizziness and hangover the next morning.
Some people think low iodine causes prostate and breast problems.
Good observations. A much more complex situation than the single-issue causation so many studies try to establish.
Or maybe, sleep issues to begin with, such as insomnia, might be indicative of dementia?
Melatonin seems to increase my blood pressure.
It’s a helluva drug…
Or maybe, sleep issues to begin with, such as insomnia, might be indicative of dementia?
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Sundown syndrome.
Low levels of Vitamin D is not uncommon when men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. The are multiple reasons for getting prostate cancer; som of them are genetic
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