People who suffer from anxiety are more likely to develop dementia.
- The presence of chronic anxiety or a new source of stress was associated with a risk of dementia 2.8 times and 3.2 times higher than that of the rest of the population, respectively.
- In contrast, people whose anxiety has been overcome are no longer at increased risk of dementia.
- “Our results suggest that anxiety could be a new risk factor to target in the prevention of dementia and also indicate that treating anxiety could reduce this risk,” said the author of these findings.
In a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Societyanxiety has been associated with a greater loss of cognitive skills.
The research involved 2,132 people with an average age of 76. All were members of the Hunter Community Study in Australia and were followed for 10 years.
At the end of the experiment, the presence of chronic anxiety or a new major source of stress was associated with a risk of dementia 2.8 times and 3.2 times higher, respectively, than that of the rest of the population. These figures were even higher among adults suffering from anxiety before the age of 70.
Anxiety: greater risk of dementia when treated
On the other hand, research has also shown that people whose anxiety has been overcome are no longer at increased risk of dementia.
“Our results suggest that anxiety could be a new risk factor to target in the prevention of dementia and also indicate that treating anxiety could reduce this risk,” estimates the author of the research.
“Globally, more than 55 million people were living with dementia in 2020, and this number is estimated to increase to 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050. The global cost of dementia was estimated at $1.3 trillion in 2019 and is expected to reach $2.8 trillion by 2050,” he also emphasizes.
Anxiety: What can cause it?
A number of factors can contribute to the onset of anxiety, including:
– traumatic events;
– consumption of alcohol or drugs;
– taking certain medications;
– the existence of other medical or psychiatric problems;
– a family history of anxiety disorders.
A person suffers from anxiety disorders when they experience strong/lasting stress unrelated to a real threat and this disrupts their normal functioning. “These disorders, which are very common in the general population, often begin in childhood or during adolescence: better detection in these age groups would prevent symptoms from worsening over the course of life,” precise Inserm. `
“Anxiety disorders are currently estimated to affect 4% of the world’s population. In 2019, 301 million people worldwide were affected by them, making them the most common category of mental disorders.”concludes WHO.
