Risk and Resiliency for Dementia: Comparison of Male and Female Veterans
Abstract
The goal of this project is to compare the differences in risk and resiliency factors for cognitive impairment and dementia among older male and female Veterans. Our overall hypothesis is that male and female Veterans will each have a unique set of risk factors for these adverse health outcomes and that there will be an additive increase in risk related to military service factors including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. In the first year of the project we received all IRB approvals (local and HRPO) and assembled a dataset of all women veterans aged 55 and older who received care in the VHA between 2005 and 2015. We finalized an analysis examining the relationship between TBI, PTSD, and depression on dementia risk in veteran women. We found that both depression and PTSD alone increased the risk of dementia [depression hazard ratio (HR)=1.76 fully adjusted (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.65, 1.88); PTSD HR= 1.71 fully adjusted (95%CI: 1.36, 2.16)]. The co-occurrence of depression and PTSD also increased the risk of dementia (HR=1.63 fully adjusted (95%CI: 1.38, 2.16)). The TBI plus depression and/or PTSD group had the highest risk of dementia (HR=2.36 fully adjusted (95%CI: 1.56, 3.57)). These results were presented at the 2017 Alzheimers Association International Conference. We plan to publish these results in the next few months. Identification of gender differences in key risk and resiliency factors for dementia will help target appropriate care and treatment for Veteran patients.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1050400
Entities
People
- Kristine Yaffe
Organizations
- Northern California Institute for Research and Education