Scientists have sounded the alarm over a common type of medication after it was linked to an increased risk of dementia. Research indicates that regular use of certain prescribed sleeping aids could raise your chances of developing dementia by an astonishing 79 percent.
Conducted by the University of California-San Francisco, the study found that medications such as Benzos, Ambien, and antidepressants might heighten the likelihood of falling prey to this debilitating condition. This association appeared more pronounced in white people, with the type and dosage of medication also playing a crucial role.
The research, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, involved monitoring nearly 3,000 older adults who were free from dementia and lived outside nursing homes over nine years. The cohort comprised approximately 42 percent black and 58 percent white individuals.
As reported by The Mirror, during the course of the study, 20 percent of the subjects developed dementia. It emerged that white participants who “often” or “almost always” used sleep medications faced a 79 percent greater risk of developing dementia than those who “never” or “rarely” took these drugs.
For black participants, who generally showed less dependence on sleeping pills, the risk of dementia still increased with frequent use of these medications. Yue Leng, the lead author of the study, explained: “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.”
She also suggested that “It’s also possible that some sleep medications were associated with a higher risk of dementia than others.”
The research found that white people were three times more likely to regularly use sleeping pills compared to their black counterparts in the study.
Given these findings, Leng advised patients suffering from poor sleep to reconsider using pharmaceutical aids. She 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.”
This comes after previous studies have established a link between poor sleep quality and an increased risk of dementia. A 2021 study revealed that individuals who slept six hours or less per night during their 50s and 60s had a higher likelihood of developing dementia later in life.
To lower your risk of dementia, the NHS recommends:
- Eating a balanced diet
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Exercising regularly
- Keeping alcohol within recommended limits
- Stopping smoking
- Keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level
- Avoiding social isolation.