Poor Sleep Accelerates Brain Aging

A new study led by Karolinska Institute and published in EBioMedicine, with lead researcher Abigail Dove, has found that poor sleep accelerates brain aging. The research, which utilized data from 27,500 middle-aged and older individuals from the UK Biobank, used MRI scans and machine learning to estimate biological brain age. It revealed that brains of poor sleepers appeared, on average, one year older than their chronological age. The study suggests that increased low-grade inflammation in the body may explain over 10% of this association. Other potential mechanisms include negative effects on the brain's waste clearance system and cardiovascular health. The findings imply that improving sleep habits could prevent accelerated brain aging and cognitive decline, potentially reducing the risk of dementia. Collaborators included Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Tianjin University, and Sichuan University, with funding from several foundations and councils.