Adults who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have a risk of dementia that is three times as high as for those without a history of ADHD. This is according to a new study out of Taiwan.
In the United States, as many as 4% of all adults have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A person who suffers from ADHD may struggle with irritability, anxiety, hyperactivity and other characteristics that are typical of this condition. In some children who are diagnosed with this condition, symptoms begin to taper off, becoming less pronounced as the child gets older. However, this doesn’t happen in every case.
This recent study was conducted in Taiwan, and focused on more than 670 adults between the ages of 18 and 54 who had been diagnosed with ADHD in 2000. These persons were compared with 2000 adults who did not suffer from the condition. The study progressed over 10 years, and over this period of time, the researchers found that the adults who suffered from ADHD were 3.4 times more likely to develop symptoms of dementia than those who did not suffer from ADHD.
The study has its limitations, however, including the fact that it specifically focused on comparisons involving insurance claims. In other words, only adults who were clinically diagnosed with dementia were included in the study. The study did not take into consideration other factors such as family history and education levels, which could also have influenced the results.
If you are an adult who suffers from ADHD, applying for Social Security disability benefits for your condition may be challenging. The Social Security Administration will require you to prove that your condition prevents you from engaging in meaningful and sustainable employment. Remember that you may have to provide evidence of this even if you were eligible for and received Social Security disability benefits for your condition as a child.