(28) Trends in The Incidence of Dementia in People with Hypertension in the UK Between 2000-2021

Saturday, August 27, 2022

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM CEST

Location: Hall C

Publication Number: 702

Presenting Author(s)

Matthew Adesuyan, MPharm
– Research Department of Practice and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, United Kingdom., University College London, London, United Kingdom

Co-Author(s)

Ruth Brauer, PhD
– Lecturer in Pharmacoepidemiology, University College London (UCL), England, United Kingdom
Yogini Jani, PhD
– Honorary Associate Professor, University College London (UCL), England, United Kingdom

Background: Hypertension has consistently been associated with an increased risk of incident dementia. The trends in new dementia cases within this high-risk group have not previously been described in the UK population.

Objectives: To describe the incidence of dementia in adults with hypertension aged over 40 years in the UK between 2000 and 2021.

Methods: We conducted a population based descriptive study using primary care electronic health records from IQVIA Medical Research Data (IMRD-UK). A validated method utilising read codes attributed to a clinical diagnosis of hypertension was used to identify the study population of 2,133,118 adults aged 40 years and over with hypertension between 2000 to 2021. The annual incidence rate of dementia was estimated and further stratified by sex, 10-year age bands and Townsend deprivation quintiles. Confidence intervals were estimated assuming Poisson distribution. Incidence rates were calculated using the number of new dementia cases in adults with hypertension and dividing by the person-years at risk (PYAR) of dementia.

Results: A total of 85,245 adults with hypertension had a new diagnosis of dementia between 2000 and 2021. The incidence rate of dementia increased from 1.98 per 1000 PYAR (95% CI 1.89-2.07) in 2000 to 5.29 per 1000 PYAR (95% CI 5.07-5.53) in 2021. Females with hypertension had a higher incidence of dementia; 4.43 per 1000 PYAR (95% CI 4.40-4.47), than males; 3.07 per 1000 PYAR (95% CI 3.04-3.11). Those aged over 80 with hypertension had the highest incidence of dementia; 20.14 per 1000 PYAR (95% CI 19.78-20.50). The most deprived had a higher incidence of dementia; 4.32 per 1000 PYAR (95% CI 4.23-4.40), than the least deprived; 3.06 per 1000 PYAR (95% CI 3.01-3.11).

Conclusions: The incidence rate of dementia in the hypertensive population has increased over the last 22 years. Our findings support evidence of hypertension as a risk factor for dementia. Our stratified results add to the evidence that increasing age, female sex and low socioeconomic status are risk factors for dementia.