Correlations between COVID-19 and burden of dementia: An ecological study and review of literature.

Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis Research Centre, Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Neurology, Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: reza.azarpazhooh@lhsc.on.ca. Department of Neurology, Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Clinical Research Development Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Health Information Science, PhD (candidate) Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: ssteinwe@uwo.ca. Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences Research Centre, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: rezaeia@mums.ac.ir. Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Melbourne Brain Centre at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia. Electronic address: nawaf.yassi@unimelb.edu.au. Department of Neurology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA. Electronic address: jbiller@lumc.edu. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family Medicine Schulich School of Medicine, Dentistry Western University, London, ON, Canada; Department of Population Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg. Electronic address: saverio.stranges@uwo.ca. Research Centre for Prevention of cardiovascular disease, Institute of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: mtokazebani@gmail.com. Research Centre for Prevention of cardiovascular disease, Institute of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: sepideh.kazeminia@gmail.com. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: bita.khorram@mail.utoronto.ca. International UNESCO Center for Health-Related Basic Sciences and Human Nutrition, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: mssha96@gmail.com. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Department of Psychiatry, St Joseph's Health Care London, Western University, Canada. Electronic address: Naghmeh.Mokhber@sjhc.london.on.ca. Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit, San Camillo de' Lellis General District Hospital, Rieti, Italy; Neurological Section, Neuro-epidemiology Unit, SMDN-Centre for Cardiovascular Medicine and Cerebrovascular Disease Prevention, Sulmona, L'Aquila, Italy. Electronic address: mariodinapoli@katamail.com.

Journal of the neurological sciences. 2020;:117013

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Current evidence on the association between COVID-19 and dementia is sparse. This study aims to investigate the associations between COVID-19 caseload and the burden of dementia. METHODS We gathered data regarding burden of dementia (disability-adjusted life years [DALYs] per 100,000), life expectancy, and healthy life expectancy (HALE) from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study. We obtained COVID-19 data from Our World in Data database. We analyzed the association of COVID-19 cases and deaths with the burden of dementia using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS Globally, we found significant positive (p < .001) correlations between life expectancy (r = 0.60), HALE (r = 0.58), and dementia DALYs (r = 0.46) with COVID-19 caseloads. Likewise, we found similar correlations between life expectancy (r = 0.60), HALE (r = 0.58) and dementia DALYs (r = 0.54) with COVID-19 mortality. CONCLUSION Health policymakers should clarify a targeted model of disease surveillance in order to reduce the dual burden of dementia and COVID-19.

Methodological quality

Publication Type : Review

Metadata

MeSH terms : COVID-19 ; Dementia