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Clinical Summary

Midlife insomnia tied to higher risk for late-life dementia

Takeaway

  • Midlife insomnia and late-life terminal insomnia or long sleep duration earlier in late life were associated with late-life dementia risk.
  • Different stages in the life course are sensitive to specific sleep disturbances and insomnia, which in turn raise the risk for dementia.

Why this matters

  • Findings suggest that people with sleep disturbances warrant closer clinical attention and may benefit from lifestyle changes and interventions that aid in improving sleep quality, such as cognitive behavioral therapy.  

Study design

  • Systematic review of 3 studies including 1446 patients (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia [CAIDE] study, n=703; H70 study, n=437; and Kungsholmen Project, n=306) with sleep disturbance.
  • Funding: None disclosed.

Key results

  • Dementia risk was higher in patients with midlife insomnia (aHR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.02-1.50) and late-life terminal insomnia (aOR, 1.94, 95% CI, 1.08-3.49).
  • Long sleep duration during late life (>9 hours) was associated with increased risk for dementia (aOR, 3.98; 95% CI, 1.87-8.48) vs patients with 7 to 8 hours sleep duration.
  • The incidence of initial insomnia in late life (aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.15-1.90) and short sleep duration (2-6 hours/night; aOR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.36-1.53) in late life showed no association with increased risk for dementia.

Limitations

  • Self-reported sleep measures.
  • Daytime sleepiness was not assessed.

References


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