A recent study shows that not getting enough rest may result in a type of brain abnormality associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Brain images of adults with an average age of 76 showed those who said they slept less or poorly had increased build-up of beta-amyloid plaques, one of the traits of Alzheimer's, according to research published in JAMA Neurology. None of those in the study had been diagnosed with the disease.
"This is part of a larger message that healthy sleep is an important contributor to health in general and especially to successfully aging," researcher Adam Spira told Bloomberg News. "It may be an important component in preventing Alzheimer's disease, but that remains to be seen."
The study included 70 older adults. Some participants reported they slept no more than five hours and other reported that they slept more than seven hours.
People with the Alzheimer's disease rest for shorter periods than cognitively healthy adults. A recent study of mice found that during sleep more fluid can get into the brain, which in turn increases the removal of plaque.
The brain images of those with an average age of 76 showed that less sleep or more fragmented sleep resulted in greater plaque in the brain, which reinforces the significance of sleep.
"These findings are important, in part, because sleep disturbances can be treated in older people," Spira said in a statement. "To the degree that poor sleep promotes the development of Alzheimer's diseases, treatments for poor sleep or efforts to maintain healthy sleep patterns may help prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease."
More than 5 million American's have Alzheimer's disease and the number is expected to triple by 2050, according to Alzheimer's Association.
JAMA Neurology findings are the first to use brain images to identify the potential link.
