Sleep disturbance, including sleep apnea and insomnia, may increase dementia risk, new research shows.
In a large cohort of older, mostly male veterans, investigators from the University of California, San Francisco, found that any sleep disturbance was associated with a 30% increased risk for dementia and that this risk increased to 80% if individuals also had posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The study was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2014.
“Our results further the very interesting body of data that sleep problems do seem to be a risk factor for developing dementia,” said principal investigator Kristine Yaffe, MD.
