Anxiety among the middle-aged could be linked with dementia later in life, researchers say.

An analysis of existing data found an association between moderate to severe midlife anxiety and future incidence of the neurological disorder, according to research published in journal BMJ Open.

The authors, from the University of Southampton and University College of London, said the effect of treating anxiety on the development of dementia “remains an open question”.

Experts warn the results do not mean anxiety causes dementia and should be treated with caution.

The researchers examined evidence from four studies involving nearly 30,000 people, all of which found a link between moderate to severe anxiety and dementia in later life, with a gap of at least 10 years in between diagnoses.

– SBS

Read more: Possible Anxiety Link to Midlife Dementia

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