A Common Sleeping Pill May Reduce Buildup of Alzheimer's Proteins, Study Shows

Ask your doctor if sex reduces your Alzheimers' risk.. My hospital had the nurses handing out sleeping pills like candy at 10pm. I would have much preferred sex. 

Your doctor should be prescribing sex instead.  

For Some, Sex Is Better Sleep Aid Than Pill, Small Survey Finds

A Common Sleeping Pill May Reduce Buildup of Alzheimer's Proteins, Study Shows

There's still so much we don't know about Alzheimer's disease, but the link between poor sleep and worsening disease is one that researchers are exploring with gusto.

A study published in 2023 found that using sleeping pills to get some shut-eye could reduce the buildup of toxic clumps of proteins in fluid that washes the brain clean every night.

People who took suvorexant, a common treatment for insomnia, for two nights at a sleep clinic experienced a slight drop in amyloid-beta and tau, two proteins that pile up in Alzheimer's disease.

The trial was short and involved a small group of healthy adults, but the research – from Washington University in St. Louis – is an interesting demonstration of the link between sleep and the molecular markers of Alzheimer's disease.

Related: 'Young' Immune Cells Partly Reverse Alzheimer's Symptoms in MiceSleep disturbances can be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease that precedes other symptoms, such as memory loss and cognitive decline. And by the time the first symptoms develop, levels of abnormal amyloid-beta are almost peaking, forming clumps called plaques that clog up brain cells.

Watch the video below for a summary of the research: See at link

These sleeping pills could help reduce Alzheimer’s risk

Wow, a two night study and this fantastic headline was created. Don't do this until much more research is created.

These sleeping pills could help reduce Alzheimer’s risk

These sleeping pills could help reduce Alzheimer’s risk© Provided by talker

(Photo by Robina Weermeijer via Unsplash )© Provided by talker

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

Taking sleeping pills could reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's, according to new research.

People who popped the drugs before bedtime had fewer rogue brain proteins linked to the disease.

Scientists described results as "very encouraging." Not getting enough shut-eye is linked to cognitive decline.

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The two-night study hints at a potential treatment to slow or stop progression of dementia.

Participants were given suvorexant - sold under the brand name Belsomra to combat insomnia.

Senior author Professor Brendan Lucey, of Washington University in the United States, said: "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.

"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."

But he added: "Still, these results are very encouraging. This drug is already available and proven safe, and now we have evidence it affects the levels of proteins that are critical for driving Alzheimer's disease."

Disturbed sleep can be an early sign. Many patients start experiencing it years before memory loss and confusion emerge.

Related video: Blood test offers hope for early detection of Alzheimer's (FOX News)

This is something I think a lot of people are

FOX News

Blood test offers hope for early detection of Alzheimer's

It's a vicious cycle - Alzheimer's involves changes to the brain that disrupt sleep and poor sleep accelerates harmful changes to the brain.

Suvorexant works by blocking a chemical that promotes wakefulness. Three orexin inhibitors have already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration - and more are in the pipeline.

Alzheimer’s disease begins when plaques of amyloid beta start building up - killing neurons. Years later a second protein called tau also forms into toxic tangles.

Prof. Lucey's team was among the first to discover the link between poor sleep and higher levels of amyloid and tau in the brain.

Experiments on mice given orexin inhibitors have suggested good sleep may have the opposite effect- a reduction in the harmful proteins and prevention of Alzheimer's.

In the first study of its kind 38 participants aged 45 to 65 with no cognitive impairments were given a lower or higher dose (10 or 20 mg) of suvorexant - or a placebo - at 9 p.m. - and then went to sleep in a specialist lab.

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Researchers withdrew a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid via spinal tap every two hours for 36 hours, starting one hour before the sleeping aid or dummy pill was administered, to measure how amyloid and tau levels changed over the next day and a half.

Amyloid levels dropped ten to 20 percent in those who had received the high dose of suvorexant. A key form of tau, known as hyperphosphorylated, also fell ten to 15 percent.

There was not a significant difference between peers who received a low dose and the rest who got the placebo.

By 24 hours after the first dose, tau levels in the high-dose group had risen, while amyloid levels remained low compared to the placebo group.

(Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya via Unsplash )© Provided by talker

A second dose of suvorexant, administered on the second night, sent the levels of both proteins down again for people in the high-dose group.

Prof. Lucey said: "If we can lower amyloid every day, we think the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain will decrease over time.

"And hyperphosphorylated tau is very important in the development of Alzheimer's disease, because it's associated with forming tau tangles that kill neurons.

"If you can reduce tau phosphorylation, potentially there would be less tangle formation and less neuronal death."

Prof. Lucey has studies underway to assess the longer-term effects of orexin inhibitors in people at higher risk of dementia.

The number of cases worldwide will triple to more than 150 million by 2050.

With no cure in sight, there is an increasing focus on lifestyle factors that reduce risks such as eating well and getting plenty of exercise and sleep.

Prof. Lucey added: "Future studies need to have people taking these drugs for months, at least, and measuring the effect on amyloid and tau over time.

"We are also going to be studying participants who are older and may still be cognitively healthy, but who already have some amyloid plaques in their brains.

"This study involved healthy middle-aged participants. The results may be different in an older population.

"I am hopeful that we will eventually develop drugs that take advantage of the link between sleep and Alzheimer's to prevent cognitive decline.

"We are not quite there yet. At this point, the best advice I can give is to get a good night's sleep if you can, and if you can't, to see a sleep specialist and get your sleep problems treated."

The study was published in the journal Annals of Neurology.

The post These sleeping pills could help reduce Alzheimer’s risk appeared first on Talker.

Sleep Medication Reduces Levels of Alzheimer’s Proteins

 Really, you have disproven this one?

Sleep medications associated with higher risk for dementia in white individuals February 2023 

The latest here:

Sleep Medication Reduces Levels of Alzheimer’s Proteins

A small, 2-night sleep study has shown that people who took a sleeping pill before bed experienced a reduction in the levels of key Alzheimer’s proteins.

The study, published in Annals of Neurology, which involved suvorexant, hints at the potential of sleep medications to slow or stop the progression of

Alzheimer’s disease, although much more work is needed to confirm the viability of such an approach.

“This is a small, proof-of-concept study,” said Bredan Lucey, MD, Sleep Medicine Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri. “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. 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.”

The researchers recruited 38 participants aged 45 to 65 years with no cognitive impairments to undergo a 2-night sleep study. The participants were given suvorexant 10 mg (n = 13), 20 mg (n = 12), or a placebo (n = 13) at 9 PM. Researchers withdrew a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid via spinal tap every 2 hours for 36 hours, starting 1 hour before the sleeping aid or placebo was administered, to measure how amyloid and tau levels changed over the next day and a half.

Amyloid levels were reduced 10% to 20% in the cerebrospinal fluid of people who had received the high dose of suvorexant compared with people who had received placebo, and the levels of hyperphosphorylated tau dropped 10% to 15% compared with placebo. There was not a significant difference between the people who received low-dose suvorexant and those who received the placebo.

By 24 hours after the first dose, hyperphosphorylated tau levels in the high-dose group had increased, while amyloid levels remained low compared with the placebo group. A second dose of suvorexant, administered on the second night, sent the levels of both proteins down again for people in the high-dose group.

“If we can lower amyloid every day, we think the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain will decrease over time,” said Dr. Lucey. “And hyperphosphorylated tau is very important in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, because it’s associated with forming tau tangles that kill neurons. If you can reduce tau phosphorylation, potentially there would be less tangle formation and less neuronal death.”

The researchers said that studies are underway to assess the longer-term effects of orexin inhibitors in people at higher risk of dementia.

“Future studies need to have people taking these drugs for months, at least, and measuring the effect on amyloid and tau over time,” said Dr. Lucey. “We’re also going to be studying participants who are older and may still be cognitively healthy, but who already have some amyloid plaques in their brains. This study involved healthy middle-aged participants; the results may be different in an older population.

Reference: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ana.26641

SOURCE: Washington University School of Medicine

Study hints at the potential of sleep pills to slow or stop Alzheimer's disease progression

But these:

Associations of Late-Life Sleep Medication Use With Incident Dementia in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

sleep medication use compared to nonuse was associated with a 48% greater risk of dementia (HR: 1.48; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26–1.74).

Sleep medications associated with higher risk for dementia in white individuals February 2023 

Ask your doctor for clarification.

 

Study hints at the potential of sleep pills to slow or stop Alzheimer's disease progression

Sleep disturbances can be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease. Many people eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer's start experiencing difficulty falling and staying asleep years before cognitive problems such as memory loss and confusion emerge. It's a vicious cycle: Alzheimer's disease involves changes to the brain that disrupt sleep, and poor sleep accelerates harmful changes to the brain.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a possible way to help break that cycle. A small, two-night study has shown that people who took a sleeping pill before bed experienced a drop in the levels of key Alzheimer's proteins -; a good sign, since higher levels of such proteins tracks with worsening disease. The study, which involved a sleeping aid known as suvorexant that is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for insomnia, hints at the potential of sleep medications to slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease, although much more work is needed to confirm the viability of such an approach.

The study is published April 20 in Annals of Neurology.

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. 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."

Brendan Lucey, MD, senior author, associate professor of neurology and director of Washington University's Sleep Medicine Center

Suvorexant belongs to a class of insomnia medications known as dual orexin receptor antagonists. Orexin is a natural biomolecule that promotes wakefulness. When orexin is blocked, people fall asleep. Three orexin inhibitors have been approved by the FDA, and more are in the pipeline.

Alzheimer's disease begins when plaques of the protein amyloid beta start building up in the brain. After years of amyloid accumulation, a second brain protein, tau, begins to form tangles that are toxic to neurons. People with Alzheimer's disease start experiencing cognitive symptoms such as memory loss around the time tau tangles become detectable.

Lucey and colleagues were among the first to show in people that poor sleep is linked to higher levels of both amyloid and tau in the brain. The question remains as to whether good sleep has the opposite effect -; a reduction in amyloid and tau levels, and a halt in or reversal of the progress of Alzheimer's disease -; but mouse studies with orexin inhibitors have been promising.

As a first step to assess the effect of orexin inhibitors on people, Lucey and colleagues recruited 38 participants ages 45 to 65 and with no cognitive impairments to undergo a two-night sleep study. The participants were given a lower dose (10 mg) of suvorexant (13 people), a higher dose (20 mg) of suvorexant (12 people) or a placebo (13 people) at 9 p.m. and then went to sleep in a clinical research unit at Washington University. Researchers withdrew a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid via spinal tap every two hours for 36 hours, starting one hour before the sleeping aid or placebo was administered, to measure how amyloid and tau levels changed over the next day and a half.

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Amyloid levels dropped 10% to 20% in the cerebrospinal fluid of people who had received the high dose of suvorexant compared to people who had received placebo, and the levels of a key form of tau known as hyperphosphorylated tau dropped 10% to 15%, compared to people who had received placebo. Both differences are statistically significant. There was not a significant difference between the people who received a low dose of suvorexant and those who received the placebo.

By 24 hours after the first dose, hyperphosphorylated tau levels in the high-dose group had risen, while amyloid levels remained low compared to the placebo group. A second dose of suvorexant, administered on the second night, sent the levels of both proteins down again for people in the high-dose group.

"If we can lower amyloid every day, we think the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain will decrease over time," Lucey said. "And hyperphosphorylated tau is very important in the development of Alzheimer's disease, because it's associated with forming tau tangles that kill neurons. If you can reduce tau phosphorylation, potentially there would be less tangle formation and less neuronal death."

The study is preliminary, since it only looked at the effect of two doses of the drug in a small group of participants. Lucey has studies underway to assess the longer-term effects of orexin inhibitors in people at higher risk of dementia.

"Future studies need to have people taking these drugs for months, at least, and measuring the effect on amyloid and tau over time," Lucey said. "We're also going to be studying participants who are older and may still be cognitively healthy, but who already have some amyloid plaques in their brains. This study involved healthy middle-aged participants; the results may be different in an older population.

"I'm hopeful that we will eventually develop drugs that take advantage of the link between sleep and Alzheimer's to prevent cognitive decline," he continued. "We're not quite there yet. At this point, the best advice I can give is to get a good night's sleep if you can, and if you can't, to see a sleep specialist and get your sleep problems treated."

Source:

Washington University School of Medicine

Journal reference:

Lucey, B. P., et al. (2023). Suvorexant acutely decreases tau phosphorylation and Aβ in the human CNS. Annals of Neurology. doi.org/10.1002/ana.26641

Two breakthroughs on dementia — one that’s useful right now

Already wrote on the second one, sleeping pill  Suvorexant.  Ask your doctor  on both of these.

Two breakthroughs on dementia — one that’s useful right now

Alzheimer's Proteins Reduced by Sleep Drug

 This really tells us nothing until further research is completed and we find out if it reduces the Alzheimer's risk or clears up Alzheimer's symptoms. And impaired persons need to be in the research.

 Your doctor - IF COMPETENT - needs to ensure further research is completed. 

Your risk of dementia, has your doctor told you of this?

1. A documented 33% dementia chance post-stroke from an Australian study?   May 2012.

2. Then this study came out and seems to have a range from 17-66%. December 2013.`    

3. A 20% chance in this research.   July 2013.

4. Dementia Risk Doubled in Patients Following Stroke September 2018 

The latest here:

Alzheimer's Proteins Reduced by Sleep Drug

Both amyloid and tau levels fell in early trial

by Judy George, Deputy Managing Editor, MedPage Today April 21, 2023

Suvorexant (Belsomra), a dual orexin receptor antagonist approved for insomnia, reduced levels of tau phosphorylation and amyloid beta, a small clinical trialopens in a new tab or window showed.

The ratio of phosphorylated tau-threonine-181 (p-tau-181) to unphosphorylated tau-threonine-181 decreased 10% to 15% in cognitively normal adults treated with suvorexant 20 mg compared with placebo, reported Brendan Lucey, MD, MSCI, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and co-authors.

Amyloid-beta levels fell 10% to 20% compared with placebo starting 5 hours after suvorexant administration, the researchers wrote in Annals of Neurologyopens in a new tab or window.

"This is a small, proof-of-concept study," Lucey said in a statement. "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," he added. "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."

In recent years, researchers have moved closer to understanding the complex relationshipopens in a new tab or window between sleep and Alzheimer's disease. In earlier work, Lucey and colleagues reported that older adults who had less slow-wave sleep had higher levels of brain tauopens in a new tab or window. Other studies have shown that sleep apnea was tied to higher tau burdenopens in a new tab or window.

But what's been called the chicken-and-egg questionopens in a new tab or window by Alzheimer's researcher Ron Petersen, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, still hasn't been answered: "Is it that your sleep is disrupted and the Alzheimer's proteins build up -- or are the Alzheimer's proteins being deposited in the brain, disrupting sleep, and that's where the cycle gets initiated?"

Orexin is a wake-promoting neuropeptide. Evidence supports a role for the orexin system in the development of Alzheimer's pathology, Lucey and co-authors noted. In mouse models, dual orexin receptor antagonists have been shown to decrease soluble amyloid-beta levelsopens in a new tab or window and amyloid plaques.

Lucey and colleagues recruited 38 people ages 45 to 65 with no cognitive impairment to undergo a 2-night sleep study, randomizing them to suvorexant 10 mg (13 people), suvorexant 20 mg (12 people), or placebo (13 people). They assessed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) via intrathecal lumbar catheter every 2 hours for 36 hours, starting 1 hour before suvorexant or placebo was given.

Participants mostly were women (68.4%) and white (78.9%). All were in good general health and had no clinical sleep or neurologic disease.

Suvorexant 10 mg did not show a statistically significant effect on p-tau-181 or amyloid compared with placebo. Neither dose of suvorexant significantly increased total sleep time, sleep efficiency, time in non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, or time in REM sleep over placebo. Suvorexant did not decrease phosphorylation at tau-serine-202 or tau-threonine-217.

At 24 hours after the first dose, p-tau-181 increased but amyloid levels remained low in the 20-mg group. Levels of both proteins fell again after suvorexant 20 mg was administered on the second night.

Suvorexant's action may extend beyond sleep induction at night, Lucey and colleagues observed. The response of CSF tau and amyloid to suvorexant without a significant change in sleep suggests that different mechanistic pathways may be involved, they noted.

"If we can lower amyloid every day, we think the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain will decrease over time," Lucey said. "If you can reduce tau phosphorylation, potentially there would be less tangle formation and less neuronal death."

The researchers have funding for additional trials to answer some outstanding questions, Lucey stated at a press conference. "Do we see similar changes in these biomarkers or these proteins when these drugs are given for months? That's one question that we have," he said.(My question is: 'Does it prevent Alzheimers? That seems important to answer.)

The group also will study cognitively unimpaired people with biomarker evidence of amyloid pathology and "see if we see similar changes, which would suggest potential larger studies could then be done as secondary prevention for Alzheimer's disease," he added.

The findings were limited by the study's small sample size. In addition, two other dual orexin receptor antagonists -- lemborexant (Dayvigo) and daridorexant (Quviviq) -- recently received FDA approval to treat insomnia. Future studies should test whether these drugs show the same effects on amyloid and tau, Lucey noted.

• Judy George covers neurology and neuroscience news for MedPage Today, writing about brain aging, Alzheimer’s, dementia, MS, rare diseases, epilepsy, autism, headache, stroke, Parkinson’s, ALS, concussion, CTE, sleep, pain, and more. Follow

Disclosures

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the BrightFocus Foundation.

Lucey has consulted for Merck, which makes suvorexant. Co-authors disclosed relationships with C2N Diagnostics.

Primary Source

Annals of Neurology

Source Reference: opens in a new tab or windowLucey BP, et al "Suvorexant acutely decreases tau phosphorylation and Aβ in the human CNS" Ann Neurol 2023; DOI: 10.1002/ana.26641.