Dementia, Stroke Risk Elevated for Those With Severe Mental Illness

FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) have increased odds ratios for dementia and ischemic stroke, even at younger ages, according to a study published in the September issue of European Neuropsychopharmacology.

Michele De Prisco, M.D., from the University of Barcelona in Spain, and colleagues conducted a population-based cross-sectional study to examine age-specific patterns of the associations between SMI and dementia and ischemic stroke.

A total of 694,086 participants from the PADRIS-PRESTO cohort were included, and of these, 176,870 had an SMI diagnosis. The researchers found that the prevalence of dementia was 3.49 percent (range, 0.33 percent at ages 20 to 29 years to 39.51 percent at ages 90 to 99 years) and 0.36 percent (range, 0.02 to 17.7 percent) in SMIs and controls without any psychiatric condition, respectively. The prevalence of ischemic stroke was 5.3 percent (0.22 to 16.4 percent) and 2.75 percent (0.08 to 14.67 percent) in SMIs and controls, respectively. Across all age groups, the odds ratios between SMI and dementia were significant; the strongest association was seen at younger ages (odds ratio, 23.21 at 30 to 39 years). For stroke, elevated odds ratios persisted up to 70 to 79 years and peaked at 40 to 49 years (odds ratio, 2.99). Across SMI subtypes, the patterns were consistent.

“These findings reinforce the need to think about severe mental illness as a whole-person health issue, not only a mental health diagnosis,” De Prisco said in a statement. “What we are seeing is that risks linked to subsequent dementia and stroke may appear much earlier in life than many people expect, which means prevention, monitoring, and coordinated care should also begin earlier.”

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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