Analysis of 8,900 Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Over 11 Years
People who usually suffer from stress-related disorders are at a higher risk of developing dementia than those who do not, according to recent research.
Stress and Dementia Risk: Recent Research Findings
A research team led by Professor Jang Sung-in from the Department of Preventive Medicine at Yonsei University used the National Health Insurance Service’s big data (2002~2013) to track and observe an average of 11 years for 8,906 patients diagnosed with stress-related disorders and 26,718 control groups who had no such medical history. On May 5, the team announced that there was an observed correlation between stress and dementia.
The research team published the results in the latest international academic journal ‘Scientific Reports.’
The research team evaluated the risk of dementia by dividing stress-related disorders into categories such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress, and adjustment disorders according to their intensity.
PTSD and Its Strong Link to Dementia
Researchers analyzed that PTSD patients had a 1.78 times higher risk of dementia than those without stress-related disorders.
Moreover, researchers identified acute stress and adjustment disorders, which are relatively mild stress disorders, as factors that increase the dementia risk by 1.20 times and 1.32 times, respectively.
PTSD, which showed the strongest correlation with dementia, can occur when one experiences or witnesses events that threaten one’s life or physical or mental health, such as the death of others, serious injuries, or threats of death. The condition makes individuals feel like the event hasn’t ended even after its conclusion, keeping them stuck in that moment.
Initial symptoms include flashbacks through re-experiencing the event, panic attacks, and nightmares. However, if secondary trauma is added, the symptoms can worsen.
The research team explained, “The fact that PTSD patients have the highest risk of dementia means that serious and long-lasting stress-related disorders strongly correlate with the risk of dementia. The stronger the stress, the more it seems to increase the risk of dementia.”
Among dementia, Alzheimer’s disease was the most vulnerable to stress-related disorders. The research team reported that the risk of Alzheimer’s in patients with stress-related disorders was 1.22 times higher than those without.
Age and Dementia Risk Amplification
Stress-related disorders were fatal to the onset of dementia as age increased. In this study, the risk of dementia onset for those over 70 was estimated to be 31.55 times higher than those in their 40s.
Professor Jang Sung-in said, “It is important to note that not only PTSD but also relatively mild types of stress-related disorders are closely related to the onset of dementia.”
He advised, “It is desirable to manage stress through regular daily life, exercise, hobbies, and conversations with people around you, and if there are changes in emotions or difficulties in sleep due to stress, it is advisable to visit a psychiatric clinic for dementia prevention.”
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