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Citation
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Tu YA, Chen MH, Tsai CF, Su TP, Bai YM, Li CT, Lin WC, Liu ME, Pan TL, Chen TJ, Tsai SJ. Am. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry 2016; 24(12): 1211-1218. |
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Affiliation
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Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: tsai610913@gmail.com. |
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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: It was unclear whether older people without dementia who attempted suicide were at increased risk of subsequently developing dementia.
METHODS: Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, 1,189 patients aged ≥ 65 years who attempted suicide and 4,756 age- and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled in our study and followed to the end of 2011. Those who developed dementia during the follow-up were identified.
RESULTS: Cox regression analysis, after adjusting for demographic data and medical comorbidities, found that geriatric suicide attempt was associated with an increased risk of subsequent dementia (HR: 7.40; 95% CI: 6.11-8.97; Wald χ(2) = 414.87, df = 1, p < 0.001). Both patients aged between 65 and 79 years (HR: 7.74; 95% CI: 6.17-9.71; Wald χ(2) = 312.62, df = 1, p < 0.001) and patients aged ≥ 80 years (HR: 6.94; 95% CI: 4.73-10.17; Wald χ(2) = 97.78, df = 1, p < 0.001) who attempted suicide had an increased risk of developing dementia in later life.
CONCLUSION: The elderly who attempted suicide were prone to developing dementia in later life, independent of depression and medical comorbidities. Further studies are necessary to clarify the underlying mechanisms between geriatric suicide and dementia and whether the prompt intervention for geriatric suicide may reduce this risk.
Copyright © 2016 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Language: en |