Those diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, are at a greater risk of dementia. A study showed adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are three times more likely to obtain dementia when older, than someone without the disorder.
Additionally, in the study, it was shown that ADHD medication might be able to bring the danger down. But this isn’t confirmed and is awaiting further investigation as there was no evident drop in dementia risk for those who took psychostimulant medicine.
Statistics
Three percent of the United States has ADHD, and most go undiagnosed, which only increases the risk and gravity of this situation. An elder researcher named Abraham Reichenberg and professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine stated, “Studies about adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are very narrow and finding out if a specific group has a greater risk of dementia is of the utmost importance. And it is also crucial to find if the risk can be lessened by medicine or by a change of lifestyle.”
It was highlighted that the study by JAMA Network does not completely confirm that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder causes dementia, but there still is a connection between the two. Reichenberg said, “We don’t quite understand why but if you are an adult with the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder there is a higher risk.”
One of the things that might connect the two is how attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder has the same genetic cause as dementia. Because of that, they have similar genetic pathways, making dementia more likely in the body.
But people still have to think about all the other factors that cause dementia. These factors include a shortage of physical movement and high blood pressure. But one way that is known to be true to prevent dementia is to keep good overall and cognitive health.
About Dementia and ADHD
Most people don’t know what the actual effects of dementia are, so some effects will be listed. Dementia isn’t a specific disease. It’s a general term for a defective ability to think, remember, or decide on things. These impairments can really affect everyday tasks and make a ten-minute task into a 20-minute duty. The most common version of dementia is Alzheimer’s.
Dementia is not a part of normal aging and is most common in 65-year-olds. Which makes it weirder to find out that ADHD might be causing dementia in younger adults.
S
ome signs that someone might have the disease are problems in memory, attention, communication, and reasoning. Like, getting lost in a recognizable place or even forgetting the names of close friends and family.
There are many risks that can cause dementia. Some of them are old age, and have a family history of dementia, poor heart health, and brain injuries. One risk that stands out is the risk of the disease being higher in Blacks than whites and Hispanics.
Signs of ADHD
It is one of the most common disorders of childhood. Most are diagnosed as children and the disorders usually wears off during adulthood.
Those with ADHD have problems staying focused and tend to have explosive behaviors. And most will act without thinking and be overly active.
Some of the symptoms of ADHD are as follows: person(s) tends to daydream, lose and forget items, fidget a lot, and have trouble getting along with others. A few things that can cause ADHD are brain injury, alcohol or drug usage during pregnancy, low birth weight, and if the baby is born prematurely.
By Samuel Cruz
Sources:
U.S. News: Adults With ADHD May Face Higher Dementia Risk
The Guardian: People diagnosed with ADHD as adults could be ‘at greater risk of dementia’
Jama Network: Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and the Risk of Dementia
CDC: What Is Dementia?
CDC: What Is ADHD?
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Inset Image Courtesy of Bob’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
