Post‐traumatic stress disorder and risk of dementia among members of a health care delivery system

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.04.014
• Publication Date: 2017-06-14T09:00:31Z
• Authors: Jason D. Flatt; Paola Gilsanz; Charles P. Quesen...; Kathleen B. Albers; Rachel A. Whitmer
• Keywords: Male; Biological Psychology; Clinical Sciences; 150; Clinical sciences; Comorbidity; Cohort Studies; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Risk Factors; Sex differences; 80 and over; Psychology; Humans; Stress Disorders; Aged; Proportional Hazards Models; Veterans; Aged, 80 and over; Biomedical and Clinical Sciences; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Neurosciences; PTSD; Alzheimer's disease; Middle Aged; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Anxiety Disorders; Mental Illness; Brain Disorders; 3. Good health; Mental Health; Good Health and Well Being; Geriatrics; Neurological; Post-Traumatic; Biological psychology; Mental health; Dementia; Female; Delivery of Health Care

AbstractIntroductionPost‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with an increased risk of dementia in male veterans, but little is known in females and civilians.MethodsPTSD and comorbidities were abstracted from medical records from 1/1/1996 to 12/31/2001. Dementia incidence from 1/1/2002 to 12/31/2014 in 499,844 health care members aged 60+ years over an average of 8.2 years. Cox proportional hazard models were adjusted for age, demographics, and comorbidities.ResultsPTSD was associated with increased risk of dementia over an average of 8 years of follow‐up (females: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.30–1.95; males: HR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.51–2.55). There was a two‐fold risk of dementia in those with both PTSD and depression (females: HR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.66–2.59; males: HR = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.47–2.91) versus those without.DiscussionPTSD was a risk factor for dementia in both sexes, with a heightened risk in those with comorbid depression.