title: Risk of dementia among patients with asthma: a nationwide longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have suggested an association between asthma and dementia, but the results are still inconsistent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database, we enrolled 11,030 participants aged more than 45 years with asthma and 44,120 (1:4) age-/sex-matched controls between 1998 and 2008, and followed them to the end of 2011. Cases of any dementia or Alzheimer's disease that developed during the follow-up period were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asthma was associated with an increased risk of developing any dementia [hazard ratio (HR): 2.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.87-2.52] and Alzheimer's disease (HR: 2.62, 95% CI: 1.71-4.02). Stratified by age, both asthma in midlife (>45 years and <65 years) and in late life (≥65 years) was associated with a greater likelihood of any dementia (HR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.80-3.41; HR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.74-2.44).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asthma in midlife and in late life increased the risk of developing any dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The underlying mechanisms between asthma and dementia require further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mu-Hong
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Ta
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Fen
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Chen
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Han
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzeng-Ji
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tai-Long
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: tomsu0402@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tung-Ping
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: ymbi@mail2000.com.tw.
authors.forename: Ya-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Bai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Asthma; comorbidities; dementia