Sleep Quality Tied to Dementia, Mortality in Older Adults

"Approximately 20% of adults are impacted by health issues associated with substandard sleep quality or insufficient sleep durations."

BUFFALO, NY- September 25, 2024 – A new research paper titled, "Poor sleep quality, dementia status and their association with all-cause mortality among older US adults" was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), Volume 16, Issue 17, on September 4, 2024.

As highlighted in this research, evidence suggests a strong connection between sleep quality, dementia, and overall mortality. Poor sleep and inadequate sleep duration have become significant public health concerns, especially among older adults, and are linked to cardiometabolic risks like obesity. Nearly 20% of adults face health problems due to insufficient or poor-quality sleep.

In their research paper, May A. Beydoun, Rio Tate, Michael F. Georgescu, Alyssa A. Gamaldo, Christian A. Maino Vieytes, Hind A. Beydoun, Nicole Noren Hooten, Michele K. Evans, and Alan B. Zonderman from National Institute on Aging, Clemson University, VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, and University of Texas Health Science Center examined whether poor sleep quality influenced the relationship between dementia and mortality risk in older US adults, and whether these associations varied by sex and race.

The authors report that poor sleep quality is directly related to mortality risk, even before adjusting for lifestyle and health-related factors. Dementia is associated with increased mortality risk, particularly among individuals with better sleep quality, males, and older White adults.

"Our findings warrant further exploration of biopsychosocial factors that might influence the sleep and mortality association particularly within men."

Continue reading: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206102