Link between dementia and insomnia

Insomnia is a condition that affects between 15 and 20% of adults in France. Among its many consequences, the risk of dementia has been recognized for a number of years. It has recently been quantified in a population of older adults in the United States.

Insomnia is a condition with 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬. It is defined by an 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭, in terms of either quantity or quality. Depending on the individual, it can manifest as difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, and/or waking up too early. Furthermore, insomnia 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐠𝐞, as aging is often associated with a decline in sleep quality. This condition impairs quality of life, exacerbates associated illnesses, leads to absences from work, and increases the risk of traffic or workplace accidents. It is also a 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚.

This study, recently published in 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐽𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦, found that the 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐚 (all types combined) was 𝟏𝟐.𝟓%, and this figure was slightly higher among women (13.1%). The article estimated that by 2022, approximately 449,069 cases of dementia could have been prevented if insomnia had been effectively managed and treated.

Consequently, addressing patients’ insomnia could 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚. In addition to the link with insomnia, studies have also identified an association between a 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐠𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 (the system that clears toxins from the brain during sleep) and an increased risk of dementia, as well as an increased risk of dementia and stroke in 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐩𝐧𝐞𝐚 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞.