17. "Study suggests sleeping drugs can increase risk of Alzheimer’s"

Summary: The Guardian online describes sleeping medications and they could be linked chemical possibility and cause of some cases of Alzheimer's. The study shows that different drugs with the chemical transmitter acetylcholine block the nervous system and could ultimately lead to permanent damage in the long term. The chemical transmitter is being studied and is thought to be directly linked to cases of Alzheimer's disease.

Key Facts:

"The sleeping medication Nytol and anti-allergy pills Benadryl and Piriton all belong to a class of drug highlighted in a warning from researchers."
"Anticholinergic drugs block a nervous system chemical transmitter called acetylcholine, which can lead to side-effects including drowsiness, blurred vision and poor memory."

"The scientists tracked the health of 3,434 men and women aged 65 and over for around seven years while monitoring their use of anticholinergic drugs. Of those, 637 developed Alzheimer’s and 160 were afflicted by other forms of dementia."

"People with Alzheimer’s disease are known to lack acetylcholine."

"Study Suggests Sleeping Drugs Can Increase Risk of Alzheimer's." The Guardian. The
Guardian, 26 Jan. 2015. Web. 31 Jan. 2015. <http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/27/sleepi ng-drugs-increased-risk-alzheimers>.