Anxiety could increase the risk of developing dementia, new study says
BOSTON - A new study finds having anxiety may have long-term negative effects on the brain.
Researchers followed more than 2,000 older adults in Australia for about 10 years. They found that those with chronic anxiety or new onset anxiety were about three times more likely to develop dementia.
However, people whose anxiety resolved did not have a higher risk. They say the study can't prove that anxiety causes dementia but suggests that treating anxiety could help reduce a person's risk of developing cognitive decline.
