Anxiety Linked to Threefold Increased Risk for Dementia

New Research Raises Concerns About Untreated Anxiety

Study Suggests Treating Anxiety Could Help Prevent Dementia

Researchers have found that both chronic and new-onset anxiety are linked to a threefold increased risk for dementia onset in later life. This new study, published in the journal Neurology, suggests that treating anxiety could help prevent dementia.

In a previous study, researchers found that people who had anxiety were more likely to develop dementia, but they couldn't say for sure whether the anxiety was a risk factor for dementia or a prodromal symptom (an early sign of the disease).

In this new study, researchers wanted to determine the effect of anxiety on dementia. They looked at data from three different studies: a longitudinal study of 2,742 adults, a cross-sectional study of 1,417 older adults, and a third cross-sectional study of 1417 older adults, the majority of whom were cognitively normal.

The researchers found that people with anxiety were more likely to develop dementia, even after taking into account other risk factors such as age, sex, education, and APOE-e4 status. The risk of dementia was highest among people who had both chronic and new-onset anxiety.

These findings suggest that anxiety is a risk factor for dementia, rather than a prodromal symptom. This is important because it means that treating anxiety could help prevent dementia.

More research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the best way to treat anxiety in order to prevent dementia.