Personalized Healthcare: Something to Sleep On

Personalized Healthcare: Something to Sleep On

How do you sleep?  Right now the news is buzzing about a study on sleep conducted at Stanford University that reveals how fragmented sleep not only can create weight gain, but it can possibly raise the risk of dementia later in life.

Personalized Healthcare that is coordinated through SignatureMD can help you with a whole body wellness plan that includes a thorough executive physical exam and a comprehensive look at your eating (see our previous post on Food for thought) and your sleeping patterns, which can greatly impact your medical costs in years to come.

When your physician has the time to really talk to you and get to know your “normal” and what your lifestyle and habits entail, the doctor is given tools to work out a more thorough plan of action. SignatureMD helps you to create tailored prescriptions for your health and well-being, allowing your doctor to have the time and the access to you so that things are not missed, and every aspect of your health is examined.

Sleep is more important than you may think. The Stanford study results conclude that if you cannot sleep, you should consult a doctor, for a study says it affects the ability to build memories and could raise the risk of developing dementia in later life.

“Sleep continuity is one of the main factors affected in various pathological conditions that impact memory including Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related cognitive deficits,” said Dr Luis de Lecea, who led a team at Stanford University which carried out the study.

A function of sleep is memory consolidation, and if it is interrupted by neurological and psychiatric conditions, memory deficits can be the result. SignatureMD recommends that just like diet and exercise, your personalized health plan made with your physician should take into consideration the quality of your sleep.

Source(s)

I. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/07/20/1015633108.abstract?sid=400915e1-7405-4539-be26-06f6ac13ac4b

About SignatureMD

SignatureMD is one of the nation’s largest firms providing initial conversion and ongoing support services to concierge medicine physicians. SignatureMD currently partners with over 200 affiliated primary care physicians and specialists across 35 states, and its network is rapidly expanding.