Preeclampsia linked to increased risk for young-onset dementia

Individuals with preeclampsia have an increased risk for young-onset dementia, according to a research letter published online May 30 in JAMA Network Open.

Valérie Olié, Ph.D., from Santé Publique in Saint-Maurice, France, and colleagues obtained data from the nationwide prospective Conception study, which included all deliveries in France after 22 weeks of gestation between Jan. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2018.

Individuals aged 30 years or older without a history of dementia were identified and followed from delivery to Dec. 31, 2021; the analyses included 1,966,323 individuals, <1 percent of whom developed dementia.

Dementia was identified using the primary diagnosis for hospitalization during 9.0 years of mean follow-up. The researchers found that compared with pregnancy without hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preeclampsia was associated with an increased risk for young-onset dementia (hazard ratio, 2.65).

When preeclampsia occurred before 34 weeks of gestation or was superimposed on chronic hypertension, the risk for young-onset dementia was even higher (hazard ratios, 4.15 and 4.76, respectively). Severe preeclampsia was not associated with young-onset dementia.

“The results add early-onset preeclampsia to the list of lifelong disease risks or health care implications of having had preeclampsia,” the authors write.

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