A condition affecting over 7 million Americans may increase our risk of developing dementia by a factor of three, scientists say.
Essential tremor is a common movement disorder characterized by involuntary shaking in the arms, hands, head, jaw and voice.
"While many people living with essential tremor experience mild tremor, in some individuals, the tremor can be quite severe," Elan D. Louis, a professor in neurology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, said in a statement.
Over 5 million Americans over the age of 65 live with dementia, according to 2014 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dementia comes in different forms—the most common of which is Alzheimer's disease—and is characterized by an impaired ability to remember, think and make decisions.
New research by Louis and colleagues has found that those with essential tremor may be significantly more likely to develop dementia.
The study looked at 222 patients with essential tremor who had an average age of 79 at the start of the study. Participants undertook thinking and memory tests to determine whether they had normal cognitive skills, mild cognitive impairment or dementia. They then underwent follow-up examinations every 18 months for an average of five years.
At the start of the study, 168 had normal cognitive skills, 35 had mild cognitive impairment and 19 had dementia. During the study period, 59 developed mild cognitive impairment while 41 developed dementia.
The researchers then compared this to the rate at which people develop mild cognitive impairment and dementia in the general population. From this comparison, the researchers found that the study participants were three times more likely to develop dementia than the general population.
However, these rates were lower than those seen among patients with Parkinson's disease, another tremor disorder with previously established links to dementia.
Of course, these findings are purely observational and more work is needed to confirm this association. But the results may offer important insights into subsets of the population who may be most vulnerable to developing dementia.
"While the majority of people with essential tremor will not develop dementia, our findings provide the basis for physicians to educate people with essential tremor and their families about the heightened risk, and any potential life changes likely to accompany this diagnosis," Louis said.
The results will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 76th Annual Meeting, taking place from April 13 to 18, 2024, in Denver, Colorado.
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