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Topline:
New research highlights a significant link between anxiety and an increased risk of dementia in later life. The study, conducted by researchers at The University of Newcastle, Australia, found that both chronic and new-onset anxiety could lead to a nearly threefold higher risk of developing dementia.
Methodology:
The study involved 2132 participants aged between 55 and 85 years, with an average age of 76 years. Approximately 53% of the participants were women. The data was collected from the Hunter Community Study, and participants were assessed over three different waves, each spaced five years apart. Researchers gathered demographic and health-related data at the study’s onset (wave 1).
Anxiety levels were measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) at two intervals: at baseline (wave 1) and during the first follow-up (wave 2), five years later. Anxiety was categorized as chronic if it was present during both waves, resolved if it was only present at wave 1, and new if it appeared only at wave 2. Dementia cases during the follow-up period were identified using International Classification of Disease-10 codes, with a maximum follow-up time of 13 years after baseline.
Key Findings:
Out of the 2132 cognitively healthy participants, 64 developed dementia, with the average time to diagnosis being 10 years. The study revealed the following:
- Chronic Anxiety: Participants with chronic anxiety were found to have a 2.8-fold increased risk of developing dementia.
- New-Onset Anxiety: Those with new-onset anxiety faced an even higher risk, with a 3.2-fold increase in the likelihood of dementia (P = .01).
- Age Factor: Participants younger than 70 years with chronic anxiety had a 4.6-fold increased risk of dementia (P = .03), while those with new-onset anxiety had a staggering 7.2 times higher risk (P = .004).
- Resolved Anxiety: Participants whose anxiety had resolved did not show a significant risk for dementia.
Speculated Causes:
The researchers speculated that anxiety might contribute to dementia risk by leading individuals to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as poor diet and smoking. These behaviors are known to contribute to cardiovascular disease, which is strongly associated with the development of dementia.
Implications for Practice:
“This prospective cohort study used causal inference methods to explore the role of anxiety in promoting the development of dementia,” said lead author Kay Khaing, MMed, from The University of Newcastle. “The findings suggest that anxiety may be a new risk factor to target in the prevention of dementia and also indicate that treating anxiety may reduce this risk.”
Study Limitations:
The study had certain limitations, particularly regarding the measurement of anxiety. The K10 scale assessed anxiety symptoms experienced in the most recent four weeks, which could raise concerns about the accuracy of anxiety assessment over the entire observation period. Additionally, the potential overlap between anxiety and depression was not fully disentangled, leading to possible residual confounding by depression.
Another limitation was the loss of 33% of participants to follow-up. Those lost had higher anxiety rates at baseline, potentially leading to missed cases of dementia and affecting the study’s effect estimates.
Disclosures:
The study did not report any funding sources or conflicts of interest.
Source:
This study was led by Kay Khaing, MMed, from The University of Newcastle, Australia, and was published online on July 24 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
