Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with elevated rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and both CVD and TBI are risk factors for dementia. We investigated whether CVD and its risk factors underlie the association between TBI and dementia.
Materials and methods: Cox proportional hazards models among 195,416 Veterans Health Administration patients age 55+ with TBI and a non-TBI, age/sex/race-matched comparison sample.
Results: Veterans +TBI were more likely to have any CVD diagnosis (24% vs 36% p = <0.001) or risk factor (83 vs. 90% p < .001) compared to -TBI. During follow-up (mean ~7 years), 12.0% of Veterans with TBI only (HR: 2.17 95% CI 2.09-2.25), and 10.3% with CVD only developed dementia (HR 1.21 95% CI 1.15-1.28), compared to 6.5% with neither. There was an additive association between TBI and CVD on dementia risk (HR 2.51, 95% CI 2.41-2.61). Among those +TBI (±CVD), risk was minimally attenuated by adjustment for CVD/CVD risk factors (unadjusted HR: 2.38, 95% CI: 2.31-2.45; adjusted HR: 2.17, 95% CI 2.10-2.23).
Conclusions: Older veterans TBI have increased prevalence of CVD/CVD risk factors. TBI and CVD had an additive statistical association, with dementia risk increased by ~2.5-fold. However, CVD accounted for little of the association between TBI and dementia. More research is needed to understand mechanisms of TBI-dementia and inform clinical guidelines post-TBI.
Keywords: Veterans; cardiovascular disease; dementia; traumatic brain injury.