From: drarwingnuttephd@gmail.com   
      
   Sleep Disturbances May Increase the Risk of Developing Alzheimer's   
   Posted by: Leonor Mateus Ferreira  November 5, 2014   
      
      
      
   Self-reported sleep disturbances may be related to a higher risk of developing   
   Alzheimer's disease, according to the results of a study conducted at Uppsala   
   University, in Sweden, which were recently published at the Alzheimer's &   
   Dementia journal. The    
   researchers analyzed data that included 40 years of self-reports, and   
   concluded that older men who suffered sleep disorders were also more likely to   
   develop the neurologic disease than ones who did not report any problems in   
   sleeping.   
      
   The study included more than 1,000 people who were 50 years old at the time   
   the study began in 1970, and were followed until 2010. The researchers   
   demonstrated that, during the 40 years of reports sleep disturbances were   
   related to Alzheimer's disease,    
   especially in the last years of study when the participants were older. In   
   addition, the scientists explained that their research suggested that sleeping   
   better may improve men's brain health.   
      
   "We demonstrate that men with self-reported sleep disturbances run a 1.5-fold   
   higher risk to develop Alzheimer's disease than those without reports of sleep   
   disturbances during a 40-year follow-up period," explained the leader of the   
   study, Christian    
   Benedict, who is a sleep researcher at the Uppsala University. "The later the   
   self-reported sleep disturbance was found the higher the risk was for   
   developing Alzheimer's disease. These findings suggest that strategies aimed   
   at improving sleep quality in    
   late life may help reduce the risk to develop Alzheimer's disease."   
      
   Benedict also believes that the results of the study may lead to understanding   
   what kind of behaviors improve brain health and help avoid the disease.   
   "Importantly, there are several lifestyle factors, such as exercise, that can   
   influence your brain's    
   health. Thus, it must be borne in mind that a multifaceted lifestyle approach   
   comprising good sleep habits is essential for maintaining brain health as you   
   age," added Benedict, who authored a previous study that revealed the brain   
   damages of having a    
   single night of total sleep deprivation in the increase of blood concentration   
   on the brain molecules.   
   It was already known that the sleep influences brain function, and several   
   researchers have dedicated their studies to better understanding it. A new   
   Open Access study suggested that the use of benzodiazepines, a type of drug   
   for treating anxiety and    
   insomnia, may also increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease,   
   especially among long-term users.   
      
   In addition, an Assistant Professor at Oregon Health & Science University   
   presented his research at a TEDMED conference recently, revealing that   
   sleeping properly may help prevent neurodegenerative diseases, since the brain   
   cleans its system during the    
   sleep from the waste it produces. Jeff Iliff was able to unveil the brain   
   cleansing system, which works similarly to the lymphatic system.   
      
      
   http://alzheimersnewstoday.com/2014/11/05/sleep-disturbances-may   
   increase-the-risk-of-developing-alzheimers/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)