Pre-Eclampsia Linked to an Increased Risk of Dementia Later in Life

A study published in the British Medical Journal associated pre-eclampsia with an elevated risk of later dementia, particularly vascular dementia, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers analyzed data for more than 1.1 million women in Denmark who gave birth at least once between 1978 and 2015 and had not been diagnosed with heart disease, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, diabetes, or dementia before first birth. Ninety-five percent of the women were younger than 45 at the start of follow-up, and mean age at the end of follow-up was 49. After accounting for age and previous births, the researchers found women with a history of pre-eclampsia had more than three times the risk of vascular dementia later in life versus those with no history of pre-eclampsia. The link seemed less profound for late onset disease compared to early onset disease, and persisted even after accounting for other potentially influential factors, including diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Meanwhile, a history of pre-eclampsia was only modestly connected to risk of Alzheimer's and other/unspecified types of dementia. The researchers suggested that asking about a history of pre-eclampsia "could help physicians to identify women who might benefit from screening for early signs of disease, allowing for early clinical intervention."