Adults with ADHD are more than THREE TIMES as likely to develop dementia

Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more than three times as likely to develop dementia as their peers, new research reveals.

Researchers studying 600 adults with ADHD over a 10-year period found they are 3.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those without the behavioural disorder.

The scientists said it is unclear why people with ADHD appear to be more prone to dementia.

Yet, previous research suggests that both conditions arise from problems with the development of chemical messengers in the brain.

Between 8 and 12 per cent of children globally have been diagnosed with ADHD.

How was the study conducted?  

Researchers from the National Defense Medical Center in Taipei, Taiwan, studied data from the country's National Health Insurance Research Database, which contains information on more than 99 per cent of the population.

They tracked the health records of 674 adults aged 18-to-54 who were diagnosed with ADHD in 2000.

The study also looked at 2,000 adults who do not have ADHD.

Study participants were analysed for 10 years. 

What did they find? 

Results revealed that adults with ADHD are 3.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

The authors wrote: 'Adults with ADHD have a 3.4-fold risk of developing dementia, and other large or national data sets should be explored to support the current findings.'

They added that it is still unclear why people with ADHD seem to be more prone to dementia.

Yet, previous research suggests that both conditions may arise from problems with the development of the brain's chemical messengers.

If true, it may be that the two conditions have the same root cause but having one of disorders does not necessarily cause the other to occur.

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