Condition suffered by 14MILLION Americans may TRIPLE risk of dementia

Adults with ADHD aren’t just at risk for the mood swings, restlessness and social snafus that come with the disorder, they may also be at an increased risk for dementia. 

A study of more than 109,000 people found adults diagnosed with the condition were nearly three times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia later in life. 

At least 14million Americans are estimated to have ADHD and rates have been steadily increasing in recent decades.

Researchers took data from members of a nonprofit Israeli health maintenance organization born between 1933 and 1952. 

The participants did not have an ADHD or dementia diagnosis prior to entering the study group in 2003. 

ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a mental health condition characterized by inattention and impulsivity

Dementia is a general term for the impaired ability to recall memories, think or make decisions to the extent it interferes with day-to-day life. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia

When they entered in 2003, study subjects were 51 to 70 years old and researchers followed up with them in 2020, finding a 2.77-fold increased risk of dementia among the people who had been diagnosed during the study period with adult ADHD.

A total of 7,630 of participants, or seven percent, were diagnosed with dementia within the study period.

Among participants with a diagnosis of ADHD, 43 percent received a diagnosis of dementia at 85 years old compared to 15.2 percent of people without ADHD.

At 60 years old, 1.6 percent of people with adult ADHD had received a dementia diagnosis and 0.5 percent of people without adult ADHD had received the same diagnosis. 

ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a mental health condition characterized by inattention and impulsivity. 

In adults, ADHD symptoms often include impulsiveness, poor time management, problems focusing on a task, disorganization, restlessness, mood swings, a temper and poor planning. 

ADHD is a chronic condition and may have long-term negative effects that could lead to other medical conditions if left unmanaged. 

Dementia is a general term for the impaired ability to recall memories, think or make decisions to the extent it interferes with day-to-day life. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia. 

A study of more than 109,000 people found adults diagnosed with ADHD were nearly three times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia later in life

The team hypothesized the association between adult ADHD and dementia could be due to possible brain processes that reduce the ability to compensate for the effects of neurodegenerative processes later in life. 

The less cognitive and brain reserve in people with ADHD may reduce the ability for the brain to compensate for its aging and deterioration. 

Additionally, adult ADHD appears to mimic some cognitive symptoms of dementia like memory loss.  

While people with ADHD may be prescribed a psychostimulant medication to manage symptoms, there was no clear association between ADHD and an increased dementia risk among those taking the drugs. 

Despite previous research linking one of the medications, Adderall, to dementia, the new study found it may have a protective effect. 

Psychostimulant medications are cognitive enhancers and researchers have hypothesized they may reduce dementia risk by changing the potential trajectory of cognitive impairment. There was mild evidence of reverse causation in people taking psychostimulants. 

However, the team stressed more research is needed on the impact of ADHD medications on dementia. 

Researchers published the study Tuesday in the journal JAMA Network Open.