Study links genes and sleep habits to Alzheimer's risk

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has discovered an important link between our genes and sleep habits, suggesting they work together to influence early brain and cognitive changes associated with Alzheimer's Disease, long before symptoms appear.

The study by ECU's Centre for Precision Health (CPH) focused on the aquaporin‑4 (AQP4) gene, which helps regulate the movement of fluid through the brain.

This process supports the brain's built‑in waste removal system, which is most active overnight and is thought to help clear proteins linked to Alzheimer's Disease.

It's not just which genes you carry - it's how those genes interact with the world around you. The same variant can look protective or detrimental depending on how someone is sleeping. That's important, because sleep is one of the few modifiable factors people can actually act on."