Population-level Impact of Insomnia on Dementia among Older Adults in the U.S. - Abstract

Sep 29, 2026

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Insomnia is a plausible, modifiable risk factor for dementia, yet prior research did not quantify its population-level impact in the United States. This study used 2022 National Health and Aging Trends Study data and relative risks from a published meta-analysis to estimate the population attributable fraction (PAF) of dementia due to insomnia in adults aged 65+. Probable dementia prevalence was 6.6%, and the PAF from any insomnia type was 12.8% (95% CI: 1.1%, 27.1%), with larger effects in females.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

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Abstract

Study design and data sources

Insomnia prevalence and dementia outcome

Population attributable fraction (PAF)

Sex- and age-specific findings

Estimated preventable dementia cases

652 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 cases, almost half a million cases per year, among older adults in U.S. could be attributable to having any types of insomnia, an estimate comparable to the well-established risk factors such as hearing loss. These findings underscore the potential for interventions aimed at addressing insomnia to reduce dementia risk in aging populations. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2227 POPULATION-LEVEL IMPACT OF INSOMNIA ON DEMENTIA AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN THE U.S. Yuqian Lin1, Fei Wu2, Yuhan Wu2, Wanru Liu3, Goodarz Danaei2, and Ruijia Chen4, 1. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 3. Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 4. Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States Insomnia has been identified as a plausible modifiable risk factor for dementia, yet no studies have quantified its population-level impact on dementia risk in the United States. Using data from 2022 National Health and Aging Trends Study and relative risks from a published meta-analysis, this study estimated the population attributable fraction (PAF) of dementia cases due to insomnia among U.S. adults aged 65 and older, overall and stratified by age and sex. Among 5,899 participants (44.7% aged ≥80 years; 57.9% female), 28.7% reported having experienced sleep-onset insomnia, sleep-maintenance insomnia, or both. The prevalence of probable dementia was 6.6%, increasing with age for both sexes. The estimated PAF of probable dementia due to any type of insomnia was 12.8%(95% CI: 1.1%, 27.1%), with higher estimates in females (13.4%) than males (12.0%). Among females, insomnia had the largest contribution to dementia in the youngest age group (ages 65–69, 14.4%). For males, the greatest contribution was observed in the 70–74 age group (12.8%) . An estimated 471,229 (95% CI: 42,313, 1,014,816) dementia cases in the U.S. in 2022 could have been prevented if insomnia had been eliminated among adults aged 65 and older. Approximately 13% of probable dementia

FAQs

What was the main goal of the study?

To quantify the population-level impact of insomnia on dementia risk in the United States among adults aged 65 and older.

How did the study estimate the impact of insomnia on dementia?

It combined 2022 National Health and Aging Trends Study data with relative risks from a published meta-analysis to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF).

What proportion of probable dementia cases was attributable to insomnia?

The estimated PAF of probable dementia due to any type of insomnia was 12.8% (95% CI: 1.1%, 27.1%).

How many dementia cases could potentially be prevented in 2022?

The study estimated 471,229 (95% CI: 42,313 to 1,014,816) dementia cases could have been prevented if insomnia were eliminated among adults aged 65 and older.

Sep 29, 2026

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