Study links ADHD to higher dementia risk
Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face a higher risk of dementia or mild cognitive impairment later in life, according to a study led by University of Pittsburgh researchers, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
Published in JAMA Psychiatry, the research examined health records and genetic data from 187,341 adults aged 50 and older enrolled in the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program.
Cognitive impairment developed in 6.7% of participants with ADHD, compared with 3.4% of those without it. An adjusted analysis found a 4.6-fold higher rate of developing impairment over time. Additional adjustments for other conditions, education and healthcare use weakened the association but did not eliminate it.
Participants with the highest genetic susceptibility to ADHD had a 35% higher risk of dementia or mild cognitive impairment than those with the lowest susceptibility.
“This doesn’t prove that ADHD causes dementia,” senior author Tharick A. Pascoal said in a university statement. “Two different kinds of evidence are pointing in the same direction.”
Among participants who developed cognitive impairment, those with ADHD reported poorer mental health, lower quality of life and less satisfaction with social relationships. They also used around 20% more healthcare services during the year after diagnosis.
Researchers considered whether early dementia symptoms could have been mistaken for ADHD. However, the association persisted when at least eight years separated the ADHD diagnosis from cognitive impairment.
Questions remain about whether ADHD medications or better cardiovascular health could reduce the risk.
The findings support further investigation into the factors connecting ADHD with cognitive ageing. Researchers also highlighted the need for targeted monitoring and coordinated care for older adults with ADHD, particularly those who develop cognitive impairment, while stressing that the study establishes an association rather than causation.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Chinese scientists uncovered how an ancient gene regulates the formation of brain folds, offering new insights into human brain evolution. The findings were published in Nature Genetics.