A new study published by researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reveals that a common sleeping pill can effectively reduce the levels of Alzheimer’s proteins, which are responsible for the onset and progression of the neurodegenerative disease. The study findings offer hope for the development of an effective therapeutic strategy that could help delay or prevent the emergence of Alzheimer’s. In this article, we will explore the research in detail, its implications, and what it could mean for the millions of people affected by Alzheimer’s worldwide.
Sleep disturbances are often an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease, with many people experiencing difficulty falling and staying asleep years before cognitive problems such as memory loss and confusion emerge. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis hints at the potential of sleep medications to slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by reducing levels of key Alzheimer’s proteins. The study, published in Annals of Neurology, involved a sleeping aid known as suvorexant that is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for insomnia. The drug is the first medicine shown to temporarily lessen the production of amyloid and tau, two brain proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. People with Alzheimer’s disease start experiencing cognitive symptoms such as memory loss around the time tau tangles become detectable. Ultimately, Alzheimer’s begins when plaques of the protein amyloid beta start building up in the brain. The study is preliminary, as it only looked at the effect of two doses of the drug in a small group of participants. Studies are underway to assess the longer-term effects of orexin inhibitors in people at higher risk of dementia. The next steps are to conduct more research and understand whether long-term use of sleep medication is effective in staving off cognitive decline, the appropriate dose and in which patients it works best.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identified a possible way to help break the vicious cycle of Alzheimer’s and sleep disturbances. A small, two-night study showed that people who took a sleeping pill before bed experienced a drop in the levels of key Alzheimer’s proteins. Suvorexant, the drug used in the study, is a type of insomnia medication 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 involves changes to the brain that disrupt sleep, and poor sleep accelerates harmful changes to the brain. Poor sleep is linked to higher levels of both amyloid and tau in the brain, according to research conducted by Lucey and colleagues. The study is a small, proof-of-concept study, and results are very encouraging. The drug is already available and proven safe, and there is now evidence that it affects the levels of proteins that are critical for driving Alzheimer’s disease. The study’s author stated that it would be premature for people to interpret the study as a reason to start taking suvorexant every night.
In conclusion, the latest study conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has indicated that sleeping pills could have a significant impact on reducing the levels of Alzheimer’s proteins in the brain. While further research is required to fully comprehend the effects of this medication on Alzheimer’s disease, this discovery brings renewed hope for patients and families struggling with this devastating condition. The development of innovative treatments and therapies can transform the way we approach Alzheimer’s disease, and we eagerly await more developments in this field.
