Dementia Risk in AS Present in the 40s

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis may have a “significant” higher than average prevalence of dementia. (©QuickShooting_AdobeStock)

Researchers writing in PLOS Onereport that patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have a significant higher prevalence of dementia and Alzheimer’s dementia than the general population.

The study, which was a population-based study by Hae-Dong Jang of Soonchunhyang University Hospital in South Korea, was published in the Jan. 31 issue of the journal.

They found that of 14,193 (mean age 41.7 years) newly diagnosed AS patients among the entire Korean population, the prevalence of dementia (1.37%) and Alzheimer’s dementia (0.99%) in the AS group was significantly higher than in the control group: 1.37 percent vs. .87 percent; .99 percent vs. .63 percent. The percentages, they wrote, reached statistical significance.

Ankylosing spondylitis carries a higher than average risk of degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular or cerebrovascular conditions, but also mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.

“AS is not a common disease; therefore, large-scale research, such as nationwide, population-based studies, is essential. Furthermore, since an evaluation for the trend and association between two chronic diseases (AS and dementia) needs statistical adjustment for multiple covariant, the extensive dataset surveyed in Korea by the National Health Insurance System could ensure a high-quality cohort study,” the authors wrote.

The data for the study is based on four-year survey of patients in the national health system database. The presence of vascular dementia, other dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease were determined if patients were treated at least twice for either of the conditions with approved drug treatments that included rivastigmine, galantamine, memantine and donepezil hydrochloride.

REFERENCE
Hae-Dong Jang , Jin-Sung Park , Dae Woong Kim, et al. "Relationship between dementia and ankylosing spondylitis: A nationwide, population-based, retrospective longitudinal cohort study," PLOS One.January 31, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210335