Improving anxiety symptoms in older adults using psychotherapy is associated with significant long-term reductions in dementia risk, shows a large real-world study. 

Analysis of data from more than 110,000 elderly patients in the UK suggests this approach may lead to a 17% lower incidence of all-cause dementia, regardless of anxiety disorder diagnosis, the researchers say. 

Although the results were not causal, the University College London–led team added that their findings were important because of the under-representation of over-65s in psychological therapies. 

Their prospective cohort study involved patients (mean age 72) with probable anxiety disorder but without dementia attending a nationally provided psychological intervention service from 2012 to 2019.