Promoting Alzheimer's Disease!
Here’s still more research linking sleeping pills to increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer's Disease!
Why this research disturbs me
This paper was published earlier this year in the medical journal, Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease. It’s a well-designed study, with convincing evidence that seems to show sleeping pills are linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Public health surveys indicate about 14% of women over 45 take sleeping pills ‘most nights’. Even more take them ‘occasionally’.
It’s likely that very few of these women know that these pills risk their brain’s health. And, if they do develop cognitive decline, they probably won't realize that their nightly pills could likely have contributed!
Sleeping pills are big business ($$). Millions of pills are manufactured yearly — promoting women’s cognitive decline! (Women over 45 are the biggest consumers of sleeping pills.)
About the research findings
This is a very detailed study. These researchers examined the medical records of thousands of people. They contrasted the cognitive health of those who used sleeping pills, with the cognitive health of those who did not.
They examined records compiled from 26 different studies, involving almost 4 million people.
Their work studied the effects of a particular category of sleeping pill that medicine calls ‘sedative hypnotics’. These are the pills your doctor most often prescribes — usually a ‘benzodiazepine’ or a ‘Z-drug’.
One common benzodiazepine ‘hypnotic’ is temazepam (Restoril), but Xanax, Dalmane, Ativan, Estazolam (Prosom) are some of the other benzodiazepines that might be prescribed for sleep too.
The most common ‘Z-drug’ hypnotics are zolpidem (Ambien), zopiclone (Imovane), zaleplon (Sonata), and eszopiclone (Lunesta). But brand names can differ. See package inserts.
The researchers discovered:
“Individuals who use hypnotics, especially high-dose or long-term users, are at a higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.”
“The use of hypnotics was associated with a 23% higher risk of dementia… The risk of dementia was significantly elevated by 15-30%…”
“The associations were more prominent in females and elderly individuals, which may be explained by the fact that older adults and females are more sensitive to the side effects of hypnotics.”
“Potential side-effects of hypnotics include addiction, daytime dysfunction, drowsiness, etc.”
NOTE: This detailed study can’t be fully summarized in one email. The researchers emphasize “The causal link between hypnotics and dementia risk was supported by mounting evidence“, and they offer animal studies and other science to explain how sedative hypnotics can be linked to cognitive decline & dementia.
The researchers recommend:
“The first-line treatment should be cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which has high efficacy and almost no side effects."
"Patients who wish to withdraw from Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs can receive CBT support.”
“The roles of non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia in preventing dementia should be explored.”
Relationships of Hypnotics with Incident Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Longitudinal Study and Meta-Analysis
J.-H. Hou et al; J Prev Alz Dis 2024 Jan
