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Study examines association between sleep medication use and risk of dementia
Medical Xpress / University of California, San Francisco / Journal of Alzheimer's Disease ^ | Jan. 31, 202: | Suzanne Leigh / Yue Leng et al

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 ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: dementia; morebs; sleep; sleepmedication
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It seems sleep medicines are not as good as one would like.

Try to find an alternate method or a root cause, and treat that.

1 posted on 02/03/2023 2:05:00 PM PST by ConservativeMind
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To: Mazey; ckilmer; goodnesswins; Jane Long; BusterDog; jy8z; ProtectOurFreedom; matthew fuller; ...

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List

This high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to immediately implement for your benefit.

Email me to get on either the “Common/Top Issues” (20 - 25% fewer pings) or “Everything” list.

2 posted on 02/03/2023 2:05:38 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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Brandon used a lot of sleep meds . . . ?


3 posted on 02/03/2023 2:06:12 PM PST by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: ConservativeMind

melatonin doesn’t seem to be mentioned


4 posted on 02/03/2023 2:09:28 PM PST by xp38
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To: ConservativeMind

I love relora.


5 posted on 02/03/2023 2:11:10 PM PST by MarMema (Orange Putin Bad)
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To: ConservativeMind

Meditation, no afternoon caffeine, and a magnesium drink.

Maybe watch Kristen Stewart’s acting…


6 posted on 02/03/2023 2:15:12 PM PST by EEGator
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To: xp38

Yes it is mentioned at the end of the excerpt.


7 posted on 02/03/2023 2:16:30 PM PST by 1FreeAmerican
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To: xp38

For some, like me, melatonin is the Devil.

Sit straight up, heart pounding and sweating bullets.


8 posted on 02/03/2023 2:17:41 PM PST by EEGator
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To: xp38

From the write up:

“If medication is to be used, melatonin might be a safer option…”


9 posted on 02/03/2023 2:19:32 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: xp38

Melatonin isn’t a drug, per se. Your body naturally produces melatonin. But I understand taking it long term has its effect, as in you body stops producing it naturally, so it ends up playing havoc with your circadian rhythm.


10 posted on 02/03/2023 2:20:33 PM PST by Eccl 10:2 (Prov 3:5 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding")
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To: ConservativeMind

I have been seeing lots of these articles lately, for all kinds of different sleeping aids.

This is the third ‘ambien” article I have seen this week, last month it was

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/common-anticholinergic-drugs-like-benadryl-linked-increased-dementia-risk-201501287667

I am guessing there is some new wonder mRna weight loss drug that is about to be released which has a side effect of helping you sleep well at night.


11 posted on 02/03/2023 2:21:59 PM PST by algore
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To: 1FreeAmerican; EEGator

I must of dozed off before I reached the end


12 posted on 02/03/2023 2:22:01 PM PST by xp38
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To: xp38

Cocaine during the day, Ambien, cocktails, and melatonin at night...


13 posted on 02/03/2023 2:23:58 PM PST by EEGator
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To: ConservativeMind

They should do a study why people who do government studies are so stupid.


14 posted on 02/03/2023 2:29:26 PM PST by SpaceBar
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To: EEGator

Ah the Rick James prescription!


15 posted on 02/03/2023 2:34:51 PM PST by xp38
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To: MarMema

Melatonin was mentioned as an alternative to the prescription sleep aids.
I take a 1mg melatonin most nights. Just enough to get me to sleep.


16 posted on 02/03/2023 2:45:54 PM PST by TermLimits4All (Voting booths don't matter. Results are already baked and we're just useless pawns. )
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To: MarMema

I never heard of relora. I just looked it up and read that:

“The active ingredients of Relora, especially the Magnolia officinalis bark have been shown to have properties (6) that act in a similar way to benzodiazepines.”

I wonder if that would have the same kind of dementia risk as the benzodiazepines.

Source:
https://www.restartmed.com/relora/


17 posted on 02/03/2023 2:52:00 PM PST by KittyKares
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To: SpaceBar
They should do a study why people who do government studies are so stupid.

Yes, they should.

18 posted on 02/03/2023 2:58:00 PM PST by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. Father of USAF pilot. USAF aviation runs in the family )
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To: ConservativeMind

I wonder how those meds stack up against the effect of chronic lack of sleep on developing cognitive disorders?


19 posted on 02/03/2023 3:01:00 PM PST by Magic Fingers (Political correctness mutates in order to remain virulent.)
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To: ConservativeMind
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.

You cannot make that conclusion. Those who take sleep meidcations are much more likely to have a pre-existing sleep than those who do not take sleep medications. The condition that causes the sleeplessness is just as likewly to blame for a predisposition to dementia than use of the medication itself.
20 posted on 02/03/2023 3:09:15 PM PST by Dr. Sivana (But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth? (Luke 18:8))
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