title: Geriatric Suicide Attempt and Risk of Subsequent Dementia: A Nationwide Longitudinal Follow-up Study in Taiwan.
abstract: It was unclear whether older people without dementia who attempted suicide were at increased risk of subsequently developing dementia.
  
  
  
  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.
  
  
  
  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 χ2= 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 χ2= 312.62, df = 1, p < 0.001) and patients aged ≥ 80 years (HR: 6.94; 95% CI: 4.73-10.17; Wald χ2= 97.78, df = 1, p < 0.001) who attempted suicide had an increased risk of developing dementia in later life.
  
  
  
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-An
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Tu
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: Chia-Fen
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Tsai
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: 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.
authors.forename: Ya-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Bai
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: 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: Mu-En
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Liver Research Center, Division of Hepatology, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuang, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tai-Long
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Pan
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: 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.
authors.forename: Shih-Jen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000359:Aftercare; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: dementia; depression; elderly; suicide attempt