Severe Mental Illness May Accelerate Dementia and Stroke Vulnerability

Severe mental illness linked to higher dementia risk even at young age, and greater stroke risk earlier in life

People living with severe mental illness face a substantially higher risk of dementia throughout adulthood, as well as a significantly elevated risk of stroke in early and middle adulthood, according to a large new study based on health records from Catalonia, Spain. The findings, published in European Neuropsychopharmacology, suggest that physical health risks linked to severe psychiatric conditions emerge much earlier than many clinicians may expect, underscoring the need for general health care to be more integrated into mental health care.

Severe mental illness may accelerate dementia and stroke vulnerability

People living with severe mental illness face a substantially higher risk of dementia throughout adulthood, as well as a significantly elevated risk of stroke in early and middle adulthood, according to a large new study based on health records from Catalonia, Spain.

Severe mental illness tied to higher dementia risk and earlier strokes

A large analysis of health records from Catalonia, Spain, has found that people living with severe mental illness face substantially higher recorded rates of dementia throughout adulthood and markedly elevated odds of ischemic stroke during early and middle adulthood. The study, involving nearly 700,000 people, suggests that neurological and cardiovascular vulnerabilities associated with schizophrenia, bipolar […]