COVID-19 pneumonia increases dementia risk: study

LOS ANGELES, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia have a higher risk of developing dementia than those with other types of pneumonia, according to a new study from the University of Missouri.

A team of researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine pulled data from 1.4 billion medical encounters prior to July 31, 2021. They selected patients hospitalized with pneumonia for more than 24 hours.

Among 10,403 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, 312 developed new onset dementia after recovering, compared to 263 of the 10,403 patients with other types of pneumonia diagnosed with dementia, according to the study.

"The risk of new onset dementia was more common in COVID-19 pneumonia patients over the age of 70 in our study," said lead researcher Adnan Qureshi, a professor of clinical neurology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine.

"The type of dementia seen in survivors of COVID-19 infection mainly affects memory, ability to perform everyday tasks and self-regulation. Language and awareness of time and location remained relatively preserved," he said.