A new study from UCLA Health suggests that treating insomnia with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) may do more than improve sleep—it may also help slow the pace of biological aging in older adults.

Published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, the study found that older adults who received CBT-I were more likely to experience remission from insomnia and showed a slower pace of biological aging compared with those who received sleep education therapy.

“Insomnia in older adults is often treated as a quality-of-life issue, but these findings suggest it may also be a modifiable risk factor for how the body ages,” said lead author Dr. Judith Carroll, associate professor of psychiatry at UCLA Health. She added that, much like physical activity and diet, sleep could be another important behavioral factor to target in efforts to promote healthier aging.

An estimated 10%–25% of adults over the age of 65 in the United States experience clinical insomnia. Previous research has linked insomnia with accelerated biological aging, including changes in DNA methylation, an epigenetic process that influences whether genes are activated or silenced. These biological changes have also been associated with a higher risk of age-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as increased mortality.

In the randomized controlled clinical trial, nearly 100 older adults with insomnia were assigned to either CBT-I or sleep education therapy. CBT-I is a structured treatment that addresses thoughts and behaviors that can contribute to persistent insomnia and is typically delivered through multiple sessions with a trained clinician. Sleep education therapy, on the other hand, provides general information about sleep and healthy sleep habits without incorporating the behavioral techniques used in CBT-I.

Researchers collected blood samples before the eight-week treatment and again during follow-up visits over the subsequent two years. DNA extracted from the samples was analyzed using three epigenetic clocks—DunedinPACE, GrimAge, and PC-PhenoAge—to assess biological aging.

The researchers found that participants who received CBT-I were nearly three times more likely to achieve insomnia remission compared with those who received sleep education. The treatment was also associated with a significant slowing of the pace of biological aging, particularly as measured by the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock.

The researchers noted several limitations, including that participants were recruited from a single site in Los Angeles, California. Larger, multisite studies involving more diverse populations will be needed to confirm the findings. Further research is also needed to determine whether treatment responses vary by sex and whether other approaches to treating insomnia, including medication or Tai Chi, could have similar effects on biological aging.

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1143143