Reduced Lung Function Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia, Cognitive Impairment, Study Reveals

A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine suggests middle-age adults with reduced respiratory function have up to a 27 percent greater risk of developing dementia or cognitive impairment later, reports Pulmonary Fibrosis News . People with restrictive lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) tend to have an even higher risk. The researchers enrolled 15,792 individuals, with an average age of 54.2 years, across various communities in Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Maryland, monitoring them for about 23 years. The clinical records of 14,184 individuals were analyzed, and 1,407 cases of dementia were reported over the follow-up period. Generally, individuals with more severely affected lung function, as determined by the lowest values of forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity, were 25 percent to 27 percent more likely to develop dementia or cognitive impairment. The researchers noted that "the magnitude of association was generally stronger for the restrictive impairment pattern" of IPF. They also said the results imply that "suboptimal lung health may be related to dementia or mild cognitive impairment risk through both Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular etiologies."