Diabetes, multiple sclerosis, severe depression and other ailments have for years been known to increase the risk of dementia later in life.
Now a Rutgers researcher and Israeli scientists believe they have found another: ADHD.
In a study published last week, Michal Schnaider Beeri and the team found that those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have an elevated risk of developing dementia and need to be monitored better as adults, especially as they approach their senior years.
“You want to pinpoint groups that the medical community should take a closer look before any onset occurs,” said Beeri, a leading Alzheimer’s disease researcher at Rutgers’ Brain Health Institute. “Not everyone has the same risk. But we’re learning that these sub-populations have a higher risk.”