A December study suggests that disruptions in the body’s natural 24-hour cycle, known as circadian rhythm, may increase the risk of developing dementia.
The study, published in Neurology, used wearable heart monitors to track more than 2,000 adults with a mean age of 79. It found that people with irregular sleep-wake patterns faced up to a 50 percent higher risk of developing dementia than those with consistent daily rhythms. Of the participants, 176 were later diagnosed with dementia.
