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Anxiety increases the risk of developing dementia, study says
A new study from the University of Newcastle has highlighted how those with chronic and new anxiety have an increased risk of developing dementia in later life.
Dementia affects over 55 million people worldwide, with around 60% of those estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease. As such, most people have been touched in some way by the degenerative brain disease. Though scientists are working tirelessly to find causes and treatment options, including a recent genetic mutation discovery, it’s believed that 153 million people will be battling the disease by 2050.
Both chronic and new anxiety were shown to increase dementia risk
Though there are a number of ways to reduce dementia risk, people have little control over mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, those mental health issues could factor into the likelihood of developing debilitating illnesses later in life.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society today, researchers from the UK looked into the connection between anxiety and dementia.
To conduct their study, the team looked at data from 2,132 individuals who were part of Australia’s Hunter Community Study. All of the participants had an average age of 76.
They found that those with chronic anxiety were 2.8 times more likely to develop dementia, while those with new-onset anxiety were 3.2 times more likely. The scientists saw the greatest increase in those who had anxiety before the age of 70.
Interestingly, those whose anxiety resolved did not have a higher dementia risk than people without current or chronic anxiety.
While this sort of question cannot be subject to a randomized controlled trial, this prospective cohort study used causal inference methods to explore the role of anxiety in promoting the development of dementia, said corresponding author Kay Khaing, MMed, of 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.
There’s no quick fix for anxiety
Unfortunately, there isn’t a magical pill or breathing exercise you can undertake to instantly solve your anxiety problem. There is, however, a plethora of treatment options out there.
Though somewhat controversial, the most common form of treatment is medication. It literally has the power to change your perspective on situations, switching your interpretation bias from bad to neutral.
A single dose of antidepressants doesnt change your mood, but it does change your cognition and the perception of the world around you, Neuroscientist Camilla Nord told the audience at the Royal Institution. A single dose, or a couple of doses, of antidepressants will change your perception of faces. It will change your perception of ambiguous sentences.
