Adults grappling with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face a startling revelation from a recent Rutgers study: they are nearly three times more likely to develop dementia than their counterparts without ADHD. Michal Schnaider Beeri, the director of the Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI), sheds light on this concerning correlation. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, meticulously tracked over 100,000 older adults in Israel over 17 years, aiming to decipher the elevated risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, in adults with ADHD.

While more than 3 percent of the U.S. adult population battles ADHD, research on this group remains scarce. Beeri emphasizes the potential impact of this study: “By determining if adults with ADHD are at higher risk for dementia and if medications and/or lifestyle changes can affect risks, the outcomes of this research can be used to better inform caregivers and clinicians.” Analyzing data from a national cohort study spanning 2003 to 2020, researchers unearthed a significant association between adult ADHD and a heightened risk of dementia, even when accounting for other dementia risk factors like cardiovascular conditions.

The study posits that ADHD in adults may manifest as a neurological process diminishing their ability to compensate for cognitive decline in later life. Abraham Reichenberg, a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, advises vigilance among physicians, clinicians, and caregivers, urging them to monitor ADHD symptoms and associated medications in older adults. Stephen Levine, a professor at the University of Haifa, emphasizes that symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity in old age shouldn’t be ignored and should be discussed with physicians.

The research hints at a potential silver lining: ADHD treatment incorporating psychostimulants might mitigate the risk of dementia, given the known impact of psychostimulants on modifying cognitive impairment trajectories. However, researchers stress the need for future studies to delve into the nuanced impact of medications on ADHD patients and their potential role in reducing dementia risk.