Practical Geriatrics ›› 2026, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (2): 121-125.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1003-9198.2026.02.004

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research progress on drug targets for sleep disorders in the elderly

LI Jiachun, YAN Li, LIU Jiye, SUN Weimin   

  1. Pharmacy Department (LI Jiachun, YAN Li); Science and Education Department (LIU Jiye); Department of Respiratory Medicine (SUN Weimin), Huludao Central Hospital, Huludao 125000, China
  • Received:2025-12-15 Online:2026-02-20 Published:2026-02-27
  • Contact: SUN Weimin, Email: swm_1773@163.com

Abstract: Sleep disorders (SD) have emerged as a significant health challenge in the elderly due to their high prevalence and complex comorbidity with various geriatric syndromes. However, the application of traditional sedative-hypnotic drugs in the population presents significant limitations. This paper explores the influencing factors of SD in the elderly from an epidemiological perspective, while also reviews research progress on drug targets for SD related to neurotransmitter receptors, melatonin receptors, protease receptors, and cytokines. Finally, it proposes that future research should further leverage genetic testing and artificial intelligence technologies to address comorbidity-mediated cross-interactions among drug targets, accelerate the clinical translation of novel multi-target drugs, deepen the understanding of synergistic mechanisms between non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions, and ultimately construct a more precise prevention and treatment system for SD that aligns with the physiological characteristics of the elderly.    

Key words: aged, sleep disorders, drug target

CLC Number: