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. 2023 May 21;15(2):e12443.
doi: 10.1002/dad2.12443. eCollection 2023 Apr-Jun.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and subsequent risk of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias

Karen C Schliep  1 , C Elizabeth Shaaban  2 , Huong Meeks  3 , Alison Fraser  3 , Ken R Smith  4 , Jennifer J Majersik  5 , Norman L Foster  5 , Jean Wactawski-Wende  6 , Truls Østbye  7 , JoAnn Tschanz  8 , James F Padbury  9 , Surrendra Sharma  10 , Yue Zhang  11 , Julio C Facelli  12 , C Samir Abdelrahman  12 , Lauren Theilen  13 , Michael W Varner  13
Affiliations

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and subsequent risk of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias

Karen C Schliep et al. Alzheimers Dement (Amst). .

Abstract

Introduction: Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Whether HDP is also associated with later-life dementia has not been fully explored.

Methods: Using the Utah Population Database, we performed an 80-year retrospective cohort study of 59,668 parous women.

Results: Women with, versus without, HDP, had a 1.37 higher risk of all-cause dementia (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.26, 1.50) after adjustment for maternal age at index birth, birth year, and parity. HDP was associated with a 1.64 higher risk of vascular dementia (95% CI: 1.19, 2.26) and 1.49 higher risk of other dementia (95% CI: 1.34, 1.65) but not Alzheimer's disease dementia (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.87, 1.24). Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia/eclampsia showed similar increased dementia risk. Nine mid-life cardiometabolic and mental health conditions explained 61% of HDP's effect on subsequent dementia risk.

Discussion: Improved HDP and mid-life care could reduce the risk of dementia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Author disclosures are available in the supporting information.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow chart of selecting study population. IHD, ischemic heart disease; MI, myocardial infarction
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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