TL;DR
Get self-care and calm essentials delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
A study in JAMA Psychiatry found adults with ADHD were more likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive impairment than adults without ADHD. The analysis also linked higher genetic risk for ADHD with greater dementia risk, but it cannot establish that ADHD causes cognitive decline.
A study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were more likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive impairment than adults without ADHD. Published October 7 in JAMA Psychiatry, the analysis covered more than 187,000 adults aged 50 and older; its findings show an association, not proof that ADHD causes dementia.
The researchers analyzed health records and genetic data from participants in the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program. During the study, 6.7% of participants with ADHD developed dementia or cognitive impairment, compared with 3.4% of those without a recorded ADHD diagnosis. After adjusting for age, sex and other health conditions, the team reported that people with ADHD had more than four times the risk of developing cognitive impairment over time.
The team also calculated genetic risk scores reflecting how strongly common genetic variants were associated with ADHD, whether or not a person had received a formal diagnosis. Participants with the highest ADHD genetic risk had a 35% greater chance of developing dementia than those with the lowest risk. The reported comparison concerns those study groups; it does not establish an individual’s likelihood of developing dementia.
Among participants who developed cognitive impairment, those who also had ADHD reported worse mental health, lower quality of life and less social satisfaction than those with cognitive impairment alone. They used about 20% more health care overall in the year after diagnosis, according to the study. These findings describe outcomes within the study population, rather than showing that ADHD itself caused those differences.
ADHD May Shape Cognitive Aging
The findings add evidence that ADHD may be relevant to cognitive health in later life, and that people with the diagnosis may face additional challenges if cognitive impairment develops. The combination of health-record patterns and genetic results makes the association a subject for further research, but neither measure proves a causal pathway.
For readers, the study is not a basis for predicting that an individual with ADHD will develop dementia, nor does it establish a prevention or treatment strategy. The reported group-level differences may help researchers identify factors connected to cognitive aging and guide studies of support needs, health care use and possible modifiable risks.
adult ADHD mental health supplements
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Two Lines of Evidence in One Study
The study builds on earlier work from the research group. A 2022 study linked genetic risk for ADHD with Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in older adults who did not have cognitive impairment. The new report extends that line of inquiry by examining both clinical diagnoses and genetic data in the same large U.S. participant group.
The authors said the association has also been observed in research from other countries. Senior author Tharick A. Pascoal, an associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at Pitt, said that seeing a similar pattern in records and genetic data increases confidence that it is not simply an artifact of how ADHD is diagnosed. He also cautioned that the results do not prove ADHD causes dementia.
The analysis considered whether early dementia symptoms might sometimes be mistaken for ADHD before a person receives a cognitive diagnosis. The association remained statistically significant when researchers required an interval of at least eight years between an ADHD diagnosis and cognitive impairment, making that explanation less likely to account for the full finding, the report said.
“This doesn’t prove that ADHD causes dementia, but seeing the same pattern show up independently in medical records and in people’s genes gives us greater confidence that the association is not simply an artifact of how ADHD gets diagnosed.”
— Tharick A. Pascoal, senior author and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh
cognitive support supplements for adults
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Cause and Prevention Remain Open
The study cannot determine whether ADHD contributes directly to dementia risk, whether shared factors influence both conditions, or whether other explanations account for some of the association. Although the eight-year analysis makes it less likely that early dementia symptoms being labeled ADHD explains the full result, it does not eliminate every possible source of bias or confounding in observational health data.
The researchers also said it remains unknown whether ADHD medications, including stimulants, affect dementia risk over time. The analysis does not establish that medication prevents cognitive decline. The possible role of cardiovascular health, which is linked to both ADHD and dementia, also needs further study. The report does not provide evidence that changing cardiovascular care would prevent dementia among people with ADHD.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Research on Risk Factors and Care
The researchers say the next work is to investigate what might drive the association and whether any contributing factors could be changed to support cognitive health. Questions include how medication use and cardiovascular health relate to later cognitive outcomes, and whether the findings hold across other populations and study designs.
For now, the published results are an observational research finding rather than a clinical recommendation. The study’s authors have not established a specific prevention measure or medication approach based on these data. Further research will be needed before the association can be translated into guidance for people with ADHD or their clinicians.
brain health supplements for seniors
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Does ADHD cause dementia?
The study does not show that ADHD causes dementia. It found an association between ADHD and later cognitive impairment, but observational data cannot establish cause and effect.
How many people were included in the study?
The researchers analyzed health records and genetic data from more than 187,000 adults aged 50 and older enrolled in the NIH’s All of Us Research Program.
What difference did the study report?
Dementia or cognitive impairment developed in 6.7% of participants with ADHD, compared with 3.4% of participants without ADHD. After adjustments for several factors, the authors reported more than four times the risk of cognitive impairment over time among those with ADHD.
Does ADHD medication reduce dementia risk?
That is not known. The researchers identified the long-term relationship between ADHD medication and dementia risk as an unanswered question; this study does not show that medication prevents dementia.
What does the genetic-risk result mean?
People with the highest ADHD genetic-risk scores had a 35% greater chance of dementia than those with the lowest scores in this study. A genetic risk score reflects associations across common genetic variants; it is not a diagnosis or an individual prediction.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
