Researchers at the University of California conducted a study to understand the effects of sleeping pills on adult cognition. Apparently, conventional sleeping pills can increase the risk of dementia by 79%. The results of the work of scientists shared in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
As part of the study, the authors followed 3068 adults without dementia for nine years. Participants filled out questionnaires about how often they used sleeping pills and had periodic health screenings, including cognitive ones.
During the observation period, 20% developed dementia. Subjects who “frequently” or “almost always” took sleeping pills were 79% more likely to develop dementia than those who did not.
In the future, the authors plan to repeat the study to obtain more accurate results. However, they have already asked for caution when taking sleeping pills.