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Study
Links Excessive Sleeping to Increased Alzheimer's Risk in People Older than 65
By Alexandra Hazlett, nydailynews.com
August 12, 2009
Sleeping more than 6 to 8 hours a night could be an early sign of Alzheimer's in those over 65, a new study suggests.
It turns out that too much shut-eye, as well as too little, could be linked to health problems.
People older than 65 who sleep more than eight or nine hours a night may have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared with those who get six to and eight hours, according to a new study reported by Britain's Telegraph.
Daily naps which push the sleep total higher than 8 hours may also have a negative effect.
Researchers believe that oversleeping could be an early sign of Alzheimer's or other types of dementia.
Estimates put the number of American cases of Alzheimer's between 3.1 million and more than 5 million, according to the Associated Press. Projections to the year 2050 estimate as many as 16 million could have the disease.
The study cited by the Telegraph was undertaken by the University Hospital in Madrid, Spain, and involved 3,286 volunteers age 65 or older. The men and women were then monitored for more than three years. They answered health and lifestyle questions, included the average amount of sleep, including naps, they had during a 24-hour period.
Of the original participants, 140 developed Alzheimer's or another type of dementia.
The biggest increase in risk was found among those people who slept more than eight or nine hours a day.
Quoted by the Telegraph in a report explaining their findings, the researchers said they "found a significant association between long sleep duration and dementia."
"Long sleep may be an early symptom of dementia, or could lead to an increased risk of it," the researchers continued. "But the mechanisms underlying this association are not readily available."
The head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, Dr. Susanne Sorenson, said that more research is needed to investigate the results of the study.
"There is no apparent physiological link, and it is unlikely that sleeping more than normal is a direct risk factor for dementia; it may simply be an early sign of a yet undiagnosed condition," she told The Telegraph.
She said that the study "demonstrates that sleeping longer than normal and feeling sleepy during the day is linked to getting dementia."
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