2023-09-19 09:11:51
Last weekend the XXXI edition of the annual meeting of the Spanish Sleep Society (SES) took place. Various topics were addressed, including the prevalence of chronic insomnia in Spain and the risks of obstructive sleep apnea, especially in Alzheimer’s patients.
The dream of reason produces monsters, by Francisco de Goya/EFE/MDC ART GALLERY SYSTEM
Last weekend the annual meeting of the Spanish Sleep Society (SES) took place in Toledo.
Among other topics, the prevalence of chronic insomnia in Spain and the consequences of obstructive sleep apnea, related to Alzheimer’s, were discussed.
The prevalence of insomnia
And new study led by members of the SES Insomnia working group has revealed that previous figures on the prevalence of insomnia in Spain have more than doubled in the last two decades.
The previous figures were from the years 1998 and 1999 and indicated that 6.4% of the adult population met the diagnostic criteria for chronic insomnia. The most recent ones show that chronic insomnia already affects 14% of the adult Spanish population, about 5.4 million people.
EFE/ Mario Ruiz
Who are the main people affected?
The data highlight that the prevalence of chronic insomnia disorder is higher among women than among men (14.6% vs. 13.4%), as well as among adults over 55 years of age (17.9%) than among the younger population (11.5% in adults between 35-54 years old, and up to 11% in the group between 18 and 34 years old).
Furthermore, the results of the study show that it is possible to suspect that many people suffer from this disorder without being diagnosed.
“The higher prevalence in elderly people is attributed to the normal deterioration of sleep due to aging, the presence of chronic diseases, and the loss of circadian rhythm synchronizers due to isolation or sedentary lifestyle. In women, the influence of socio-economic factors and a greater vulnerability to physical problems that cause pain and mental health problems is suspected. This analysis is still pending,” indicates neurophysiologist Manuel de Entrambasaguas.
Recommended treatment
The same working group of the SES He also indicated what is the best treatment for chronic insomnia.
Despite the use of numerous sleeping pills, professionals indicate that the best treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT-I), which has shown greater effectiveness even in the long term than the drugs commonly used in the treatment of insomnia.
Plus, it doesn’t have as many side effects.
“CBT-I is a treatment system with different components, which includes education, with reliable information about physiological sleep and insomnia, sleep hygiene, which has to do with adopting routines and environments that promote sleep, and relaxation therapies,” explained the doctor.
“The behavioral component includes the restriction or compression of time in bed, to limit that time to what one actually sleeps and gradually increase it, and stimulus control, to promote the association between bed and bedroom with sleep. The cognitive component dismantles erroneous beliefs about sleep and insomnia, and can also incorporate the restructuring of maladaptive cognitive schemes. Furthermore, there is increasing interest in mindfulness, which can facilitate the regulation of emotions and better control of thoughts,” concludes the expert Entrambasaguas.
Obstructive sleep apnea
In another of the conference presentations on the cerebral impact of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the disease and its relationship with Alzheimer’s and stroke were discussed.
Obstructive sleep apnea has two very negative consequences for people who suffer from it. Firstly, sleep fragmentation and secondly, hypoxia. However, as stated by Dr. Antonio Adriano Targa, other manifestations have also been observed at the neuronal level.
Obstructive sleep apnea and bidirectionality with Alzheimer’s
However, one of the most striking topics discussed at the congress about obstructive sleep apnea is its bidirectional relationship with Alzheimer’s.
Adriano Targa, researcher at the Biomedical Research Center at Red CIBER, recalls that, on the one hand, people who suffer from Alzheimer’s have a higher prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea and that, on the other hand, OSA patients are more likely to develop the Alzheimer’s.
“Data indicate an increased risk of up to 85% of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI)/Alzheimer’s disease among individuals with sleep apnea,” notes Dr. Targa.
On the other hand, remember that there are still no conclusive answers in terms of prevention. However, it is possible to hope that treating OSA may also help Alzheimer’s patients.
EFE/EPA/STEPHANIE LECOCQ
#Increase #cases #insomnia #obstructive #sleep #apnea