Taking sleeping pills increases risk of dementia -- especially if you're White - Study Finds

Their study finds that various sleeping medications, including Benzos, Ambien, and antidepressants, can increase the risk of developing dementia — particularly among White people.

Notably, this work follows earlier research that had found African Americans actually have a higher likelihood than Caucasians of developing Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia.

“Differences may be attributed to socio-economic status,” says first author Yue Leng, PhD, from the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, in a university release.

“Black participants who have access to sleep medications might be a select group with high socio-economic status and, thus, greater cognitive reserve, making them less susceptible to dementia.”

Moreover, the study finds Caucasians were 10 times as likely to use trazodone, an antidepressant sold under the brand names Desyrel and Oleptro, which doctors also prescribe as a sleep aid.

In summation, Dr. Leng says future studies could provide further clarity on the cognitive risks or rewards of sleep medications, as well as the influence of one’s race.