Dementia Risk Increases with Multimorbidity Among Seniors

Dementia can impact one’s life in numerous ways. A recent study reviewed the correlation of high-risk diseases and dementia, reports McKnight’s. It was concluded that having one chronic disease can cause a 63 percent increase in the risk of being diagnosed with dementia over a time period of 15 years. Understanding which diseases are associated with an increased dementia risk can help clinicians provide better tailored care to these individuals.

Data was collected from the UK Biobank cohort which included data for more than 200,000 participants between the years 2006 and 2010. All were older than 60 years and were not diagnosed with dementia. The study defined multimorbidity as having at least 2 of the 42 predetermined conditions as well as a high genetic risk for dementia.

As per Catherine M. Calvin, PhD, of the University of Oxford, there is a higher associated risk for dementia 15 years later if more conditions are present. Of the 2,000 participants of the study, about 3 percent received a diagnosis for dementia.

Women had a higher risk of dementia when compared to individuals who had no multimorbidity if they had a cluster of diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease or a cluster of dyspepsia, pain and osteoporosis. Researchers stated, “the risk differences between absence and presence of multimorbidity were larger in those with a higher genetic risk for dementia.”

Authors of the study concluded that identifying high risk factors can help “highlight the necessity of targeting clusters of diseases for dementia prevention rather than individual risk factors.”

Cornerstone Rehab clinicians are trained to provide care to residents in skilled nursing facilities who may be diagnosed with multiple conditions including dementia, diabetes, heart disease, chronic pain and osteoporosis.