Dementia in Scottish military veterans: early evidence from a retrospective cohort study

Bergman, Beverly P; Mackay, Daniel; Pell, Jill P.

doi:10.1017/s0033291721002440

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…As the leading cause of death within the UK, with a population estimate of 7.1% then the 1.8% within this study appears low 24. Recent studies have indicated that dementia rates in the veteran population are not higher than the general population 25. The low rate in this study is likely to be under-recording due to PHC being unaware of the veteran status and therefore does not have the correct military veteran code attached to their records.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Prevalence of common mental health disorders in military veterans: using primary healthcare data

Finnegan

Randles

2022

BMJ Mil Health

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IntroductionServing military personnel and military veterans have been identified as having a high prevalence of mental disorders. Since 1985, UK patients’ primary healthcare (PHC) medical records contain Read Codes (now being replaced by Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) codes) that mark characteristics such as diagnosis, ethnicity and therapeutic interventions. This English study accesses a cohort profile of British Armed Forces veterans to examine the diagnosed common mental disorders by using PHC records.MethodsThis analysis has been drawn from initiatives with PHC practices in the Northwest of England to increase veteran registration in general practice. Demographic data were collected including gender, age and marital status. Data were also collected on common mental health disorders associated with the Armed Forces.Result2449 veteran PHC records were analysed. 38% (N=938) of veterans in this cohort had a code on their medical record for common mental health disorders. The highest disorder prevalence was depression (17.8%, N=437), followed by alcohol misuse (17.3%, N=423) and anxiety (15.0%, N=367). Lower disorder prevalence was seen across post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (3.4%, N=83), dementia (1.8%, N=45) and substance misuse (0.8%, N=19). Female veterans had a higher prevalence of mental disorders than their male counterparts, while men a higher prevalence of PTSD; however, the gender difference in the latter was not significant (p>0.05).ConclusionThe SNOMED searches do not detail why certain groups had higher recordings of certain disorders. A future study that accesses the PHC written medical notes would prove enlightening to specifically identify what situational factors are having the most impact on the veteran population. The results from a sizeable English veteran population provide information that should be considered in developing veteran-specific clinical provision, educational syllabus and policy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Prevalence of common mental health disorders in military veterans: using primary healthcare data

Finnegan

Randles

2022

BMJ Mil Health

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“…This association was initially documented in military veterans with a history of combat-related trauma [27]. It was subsequently found that PTSD was associated with an approximately 1.5 to 2-fold increase in the risk of dementia in both military and civilian populations [28], and this finding has been confirmed in large cohort studies involving both these groups [29,30]. Some researchers have also reported a longitudinal association between PTSD and the risk of Parkinson's disease in both civilian and military populations [31,32].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Biomarkers of neurodegeneration in post-traumatic stress disorder: an integrative review

Rajkumar¹

2023

Preprint

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder that occurs following exposure to traumatic events. The prevalence of PTSD is estimated to be 5-10% worldwide, and it is associated with significant distress and disability. Recent evidence suggests that PTSD may be a risk factor for the development of subsequent neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Identification of biomarkers known to be associated with neurodegeneration in patients with PTSD would shed light on the pathophysiological mechanisms linking these disorders, and would also help in the development of preventive approaches aimed at reducing the risk of neurodegenerative disorders in PTSD. In the current review, the PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for studies aimed at identifying genetic, biochemical, neuroimaging or behavioral markers associated with neurodegeneration in patients with PTSD. Out of a total of 342 citations retrieved, 29 relevant studies were identified for inclusion in the review. The results of these studies suggest that several potentially relevant biological markers, including cerebral cortical thinning, disrupted white matter integrity, specific genetic polymorphisms, immune-inflammatory alterations, vitamin D deficiency, metabolic syndrome and parasomnias, may be associated with an increased risk of neurodegeneration in patients with PTSD. Though many of these results need replication, they highlight a number of biological pathways that plausibly link PTSD with neurodegenerative disorders, and suggest potentially valuable avenues for prevention and early intervention in this patient population.

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“…We read with great interest the paper by Bergman, Mackay, and Pell (2021) about dementia in veterans and non-veterans. Authors found that there was no evidence in the subsequent risk of dementia between veterans and non-veterans (Bergman et al, 2021). This study has provided an excellent basis for a follow-up study of the association of veterans with dementia.…”

Section: To the Editormentioning

confidence: 99%