Even mild concussions can increase dementia risks, study finds

FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2015 file photo, Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) dives for the first down marker during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Carolina Panthers in Orchard Park, N.Y. Two people familiar with the trade said Friday, March 9, 2018, the Cleveland Browns have agreed to acquire Taylor from the Bills for a third-round draft pick this year. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert, File)

By Naija Parker and The Atlanta-Journal Constitution

A combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists now believe traumatic brain injury (TBI) may also be associated with the illness.

Researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine recently conducted a study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, to determine the connection between TBIs and Alzheimer's.
To do so, they examined the records of more than 2.8 million patients in Denmark from 1995. They then looked ahead to identify the individuals, over age 50, who'd been diagnosed with dementia between 1999 and 2013.

After analyzing the results, they found that those who suffered a TBI, even if it was a mild one like a concussion, had a higher risk of developing dementia later in life.

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