Sleep disorders raise risk of dementia: Study

People suffering from sleep disturbances such as sleep apnoea might face a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, while moderate exercise in middle age and mentally stimulating games, such as crossword puzzles, might prevent the onset of the dementia-causing disease, new research at the University of California at San Francisco suggests.

The findings which would be introduced during the six-day Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Copenhagen to add to previous studies that suggest sleep played a critical role in the health of the aging brain, possibly by a cleansing process of Alzheimer's-related compounds during rest period.

The studies also add to a growing body of literature suggesting keeping the brain busy kept it healthy.

With their ageing populations, there is a growing urgency in the US and other countries for preventive action against the disease.

The disease is the leading cause of dementia in older people and afflicts over 5 million US citizens and at its current pace, the number is expected to soar to 16 million people by 2050.

The year 2012, saw the US adopt a national plan to combat the disease, even as the G-8 nations last year adopted a goal of providing better treatment and prevention by 2025.

Meanwhile, according to a study by researchers at Cambridge University, which ranks the seven lifestyle threats fuelling increased levels of dementia, just one hour's exercise a week could cut the chance of Alzheimer's disease by almost half.

The Cambridge University study says one in three cases of the condition could be prevented by higher activity levels, cutting down on smoking and tackling health problems such as obesity and diabetes.

According to the study published in the Lancet Neurology, the first to quantify the combined impact of lifestyle factors influencing dementia – exercise offered the most significant protection against the condition.

People who did not undertake three 20-minute bursts of vigorous exercise per week, such as jogging or football, or five 30-minute sessions of moderate activity, such as walking, faced 82 per cent higher risk of developing dementia.