Anxiety May Boost Risk of Alzheimer’s, Researchers Say

Amy Taylor November 12, 2014

People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease within a few years. And the risk of Alzheimer’s increases significantly if they suffer from anxiety – new research revealed.

Researchers at Baycrest Health Sciences’ Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, determined that anxiety symptoms in individuals diagnosed with MCI significantly increases the risk of a speedier decline in cognitive functions. This finding was independent of depression which is an additional risk factor.

The study looked at large population-based Alzheimer’s disease Neuroimaging Initiative to analyse anxiety, depression, cognitive, and brain structural changes in 376 adults, aged 55-91, over a three-year period. Changes were monitored every six months. All of the adults had a clinical diagnosis of amnestic MCI and a low score on the depression rating scale, indicating that anxiety symptoms were not part of clinical depression.

For MCI patients with mild, moderate, or severe anxiety, Alzheimer’s risk increased by 33%, 78%, and 135% respectively.

The research team also found that MCI patients who had reported anxiety symptoms at any time over the follow-up period had greater rates of atrophy in the medial temporal lobe regions of the brain. This brain area is essential for creating memories and is an brain region often implicated in Alzheimer’s.

“Our findings suggest that clinicians should routinely screen for anxiety in people who have memory problems because anxiety signals that these people are at greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s,” said Dr Linda Mah, principal investigator on the study.

“While there is no published evidence to demonstrate whether drug treatments used in psychiatry for treating anxiety would be helpful in managing anxiety symptoms in people with mild cognitive impairment or in reducing their risk of conversion to Alzheimer’s, we think that at the very least behavioural stress management programs could be recommended.

In addition to stress, depression and chronic stress have also been linked to smaller hippocampal volume and increased risk of dementia.

Source of this article: Anxiety Increases Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease