This can leave people with a racing heart and dread of work meetings.
But a new study has found that living with anxiety can also dramatically increase the risk of developing dementia.
Adults over 60 diagnosed with anxiety in the past 10 years were about three times more likely to develop dementia than those without the condition.
And those who were diagnosed with anxiety before age 70 had even lower risks, as they were up to seven times more likely to develop dementia.
Australian researchers have found that chronic or new-onset anxiety increases the risk of dementia in older people.
The graph above shows the average increased risk of developing dementia based on chronic, resolving, or new-onset anxiety.
The team believes this could be because patients with mental illness are more likely to engage in risky behaviours such as smoking and poor diet, which have been shown to lead to dementia.
Some evidence also suggests that anxiety causes excessive levels of stress hormones, leading to inflammation in the brain that releases toxins and slows cognitive function, leading to dementia.
This study adds to a growing body of research suggesting that mental health may be linked to cognitive impairment.
The researchers wrote: “To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the effect of anxiety persistence (chronic, resolved, or new-onset anxiety) and timing of anxiety exposure on dementia risk.”
“These results suggest the possibility that anxiety is a modifiable risk factor for dementia and that prompt management of anxiety helps reduce the risk of dementia.”
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, just under one in five American adults suffers from an anxiety disorder, or 40 million Americans.
The researchers evaluated 2,132 participants aged over 60. The majority (53%) were women.
Most Australians included in the study had at least some vocational training and had a history of smoking.
On average, 62% of participants consumed one to four alcoholic drinks per week.
Patients were divided into three groups based on their age: 60-70 years, 71-80 years, and 81 years and older. The average age of the participants was 76 years.
Anxiety was measured once at the start of the study (wave 1) and again after five years (wave 2).
Patients with “chronic” anxiety had symptoms at the beginning and end of the experiment, while those who were only anxious at the beginning had “resolved” anxiety. In contrast, patients who only had symptoms at the end had “new” anxiety.
During the 10-year study period, about three percent of participants developed dementia and seven percent died.
The researchers found that on average, participants with chronic anxiety were 2.8 times more likely to develop dementia, and those with new-onset anxiety were 3.2 times more likely.
Previous research has shown that certain social and intellectual activities may reduce the risk of developing dementia.
However, the probability was higher among those under 70.
Patients aged 60 to 70 with chronic anxiety were 4.6 times more likely to develop dementia, with this risk rising to 7.2 times for those in this age group with new-onset anxiety.
The team said this could be because having anxiety at a younger age has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease and other problems over time that have been linked to dementia.
But the study also showed that participants whose anxiety was cured between waves 1 and 2 had no increased risk, showing that treatment with therapy and medication was effective in reducing risk.
“In our study, the risk of dementia among resolved cases was similar to that of people without anxiety,” the researchers wrote.
“These findings support the idea that anxiety is a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia and highlight the possible role of anxiety management in middle-aged and ‘young’ older adults in reducing the risk of dementia later in life.”
Anxiety is usually treated with a combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes, although every patient is different.
“People with anxiety are more likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, including unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and smoking, which in turn can lead to cardiovascular disease, which is strongly associated with dementia,” the team wrote.
“So these are plausible direct and indirect mechanisms by which anxiety may increase the risk of dementia.”
The study had several limitations, including that cases could be detected after the initial onset of illness and that anxiety symptoms were only assessed within four weeks of each follow-up.
The team also “did not have any information about how anxiety was resolved” at the end of the experiment.
Researchers believe that lifestyle factors common to people with anxiety may explain the increased risk.
The study was published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological disorders
A GLOBAL CONCERN
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders (those affecting the brain) that impact memory, thinking and behavior.
There are many types of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common.
Some people may have a combination of different types of dementia.
Regardless of the type of dementia diagnosed, each person will experience dementia in their own way.
Dementia is a global problem, but it is more commonly seen in wealthy countries, where people are likely to live very long lives.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, more than 900,000 people in the UK currently have dementia, a figure expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75% of those diagnosed.
In the United States, an estimated 5.5 million people have Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to increase similarly in the coming years.
As a person ages, the risk of developing dementia also increases.
Diagnosis rates are improving, but it is estimated that many people with dementia still go undiagnosed.
IS THERE A CURE?
There is currently no cure for dementia.
But new drugs can slow its progression, and the earlier it is detected, the more effective treatments can be.
Source: Alzheimer Society