The Latest Medical News

A Summary of The Latest Medical News: People who experience **poor sleep** have brains that are on average **one year older** than their actual, chronological age[1][3]. A recent study from the **Karolinska Institutet** analyzed data from over **27,500 adults** using MRI brain scans and advanced machine learning to estimate the biological—or actual structural—age of each participant’s brain[1]. Researchers investigated how different aspects of sleep, including **chronotype** (whether someone is a morning or evening person), **sleep duration**, **insomnia**, **snoring**, and **daytime sleepiness**, affected brain aging. Each participant’s sleep quality was scored and categorized as healthy, intermediate, or poor[1]. **The results revealed that for each point lost in sleep quality, the gap between a person’s brain age and their real age widened by around six months.** People in the poorest sleep group had brains that appeared, on average, **one year older** than their chronological age[1]. Inflammation in the body was identified as a **significant factor**. The study found that **inflammation accounted for just over 10% of the link between poor sleep and increased brain age**[1]. These findings add to existing research suggesting that **insufficient or poor-quality sleep may accelerate brain aging**, as well as being associated with conditions like dementia[1][5]. Importantly, since **sleep is a modifiable behavior**, the researchers argue that **improving sleep may help prevent or slow down brain aging and possibly cognitive decline**[1][3]. **Adopting healthier sleep habits could be a practical way to support not only better daily performance but also long-term brain health**[2][3]. Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9