Skip to main content

Delirium Increases Risk for Subsequent Death, Dementia in Older Adults

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 2, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, April 2, 2024 -- Delirium is a strong risk factor for death and incident dementia among older adult patients, according to a study published online March 27 in The BMJ.

Emily H. Gordon, M.B.B.S, Ph.D., from the University of Queensland in Woolloongabba, Australia, and colleagues examined the association between delirium and incident dementia among older adult patients. The analysis included matched delirium-no delirium pairs (55,211 pairs) identified from hospitalized patients (aged 65 years and older) treated between July 2001 and March 2020 and followed for more than five years.

The researchers found that patients with delirium had a higher risk for death (hazard ratio, 1.39) and higher risk for incident dementia (subdistribution hazard ratio, 3.00) than patients without delirium. This association was stronger in men. Each additional episode of delirium was associated with a further increased risk for dementia (subdistribution hazard ratio, 1.20).

"While our results are consistent with the hypothesis that delirium might play a causative part in dementia, they are not conclusive owing to the fundamental limitations of observational studies in determining causality. Nevertheless, the results of this study provide valuable insights because prospective randomized controlled trials are unlikely to be conducted," the authors write. "Delirium is a factor that could triple a person's risk of dementia. Therefore, delirium prevention and treatment are opportunities to reduce dementia burden globally."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted April 2024

Read this next

BMI Cutoff of 30 for Obesity May Be Too High for Middle-Aged, Older Adults

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- The optimal body mass index (BMI) cutoff point appears to be 27 kg/m2 for detecting obesity in middle-aged and older adults, according to a study presented...

Emergency Inguinal Hernia Surgery Rates Increased With Lower Country Income

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- For patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery, emergency surgery rates increase from high- to low-income countries, according to a study published online...

Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Levels Higher in Black Than White Women

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels are higher in Black than White pregnant women, supporting the use of accounting for these differences in...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.