July 13, 2009

PTSD Strongly Associated with Increased Risk for Developing Dementia

Some studies have shown that chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is related to increased rates of death and illness, as well as an "accelerated aging" process. Moreover, PTSD is highly prevalent among Veterans returning from combat. This HSR&D study sought to determine if PTSD is associated with increased risk of developing dementia among older Veterans. Using VA data, investigators conducted a retrospective cohort study of 181,093 Veterans aged > 55 without dementia from 1997 to 2000. Of these Veterans, 53,155 were diagnosed with PTSD. During the follow-up period from 2001-2007, investigators gathered data on newly diagnosed dementia.

Findings show that Veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD were twice as likely to develop dementia, even after accounting for other medical and psychiatric conditions. Veterans with PTSD had a dementia rate of 10.6% over the seven years of follow-up, whereas those without PTSD had a rate of 6.6%. While this is early emerging evidence, investigators believe it is critical to follow Veterans with PTSD, and to screen them early for dementia. They also recommend that further research be conducted to fully understand the mechanisms linking these disorders. By further understanding the association, we may be able to find ways to reduce the increased risk of dementia associated with PTSD.

HSR&D investigator, Kristine Yaffe, MD, and her colleagues presented these findings at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, which was held in Vienna, Austria on July 13, 2009.