A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease has found that certain sleep medications may increase the risk of dementia in older white adults. The study tracked nearly 3,000 people over an average of nine years as part of the Health, Aging and Body Composition project, which looks at aging-related health issues.
One of the key findings was that white participants who regularly used sleep medications were 79% more likely to develop dementia compared to those who rarely or never used them.
Interestingly, this link was not seen in Black participants, even if they also used sleep medications often. The study also found that white individuals were three times more likely to be frequent users of sleep aids than Black individuals.
Dr. Yue Leng, the lead author of the study, believes that socioeconomic factors may play a role in these differences. For example, Black participants who could afford and access sleep medications may come from wealthier backgrounds and may have had more education.
This could give them a “greater cognitive reserve,” which is the brain’s ability to handle damage without showing symptoms. This reserve might help protect them from the harmful effects of sleep medications on the brain.
The study also found large racial differences in the types of sleep medications used. White participants were almost twice as likely to use benzodiazepines, such as Halcion, Dalmane, or Restoril. They were also 10 times more likely to use trazodone, an antidepressant that is often used for sleep, and seven times more likely to use “Z-drugs” like Ambien.
Dr. Leng advises caution when it comes to using sleep medications. She recommends that people who struggle with sleep first try to figure out the cause of their sleep problems. This might involve doing a sleep study to check for conditions like sleep apnea.
If insomnia is diagnosed, the best first step is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i), which is a proven, non-drug treatment. If medication is still needed, melatonin might be a safer option, though we still don’t fully understand its long-term effects.
This study adds to growing concerns about the safety of sleep medications, especially for older adults. It also shows that risk can vary depending on race and socioeconomic status. More research is needed to understand why these differences exist and how various types of sleep medications may affect the brain over time.
In the meantime, experts encourage people to be careful when using sleep medications and to look into other treatment options whenever possible. Good sleep is important for brain health, but how we try to get that sleep matters too.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about low choline intake linked to higher dementia risk, and how eating nuts can affect your cognitive ability.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline, and results showing higher magnesium intake could help benefit brain health.
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