Taking sleeping pills lowers levels of Alzheimer's proteins, reveals study

Trouble sleeping may be an early sign ofAlzheimer's disease. Mostpeople who are ultimately diagnosed with Alzheimer's find it difficult to fall and stay asleep, years before cognitive issues like memory loss and disorientation start to show up.It's a vicious cycle: sleep disturbances brought on by Alzheimer's disease are accelerated by poor sleep, which in turn causes more damaging alterations to the brain.

A potential strategy that might help in ending that cycle has been discovered by Washington University School of Medicine researchers.According to atwo-night study, individuals who took a sleeping pill before bed noticed a decrease in the levels of key proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. This is a positive development because a rise in these proteins is associated with a worsening of the condition.

The study suggests that sleep medications may be able to slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease, though much more research is required to confirm the viability of such a strategy. Suvorexant, the sleeping aid used in the study, already holds FDA approval for treating insomnia.

“This is a small, proof-of-concept study. It would be premature for people who are worried about developing Alzheimer’s to interpret it as a reason to start taking suvorexant every night,” said senior authorBrendan Lucey, MD, an associate professor of neurology and director of Washington University’sSleep Medicine Center.

"We don’t yet know whether long-term use is effective in staving off cognitive decline, and if it is, at what dose and for whom. Still, these results are very encouraging. This drug is already available and proven safe, and now we have evidence that it affects the levels of proteins that are critical for driving Alzheimer’s disease,” she added.

DetectingAlzheimer’s disease

There are numerous approaches to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. A doctor's examination is frequently used to identify Alzheimer's. They will do many tests and assess your symptoms and signs.

Some of the earlysigns and symptoms of Alzheimer's dementia listed by the Mayo Clinicinclude:

-Memory impairment, such as difficulty remembering events

- Difficulty concentrating, planning or problem-solving

- Problems finishing daily tasks at home or at work, such as writing or using eating utensils

- Confusion with location or passage of time

- Having visual or space difficulties, such as not understanding distance in driving, getting lost or misplacing items

- Language problems, such as word-finding problems or reduced vocabulary in speech or writing

- Using poor judgment in decisions

- Withdrawal from work events or social engagements

- Changes in mood, such as depression or other behavior and personality changes

(With inputs from agencies)

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