DEMENTIA and other cognitive disorders are more common in people with primary Sjögren’s disease (pSjD), according to a new study that has also revealed differing risk patterns by age, with mild cognitive impairment appearing before 65 years.
pSjD is an autoimmune condition that can involve the central nervous system, and cognitive dysfunction has been reported in some patients. However, epidemiological studies of the association between pSjD and dementia have produced inconsistent results, and the overall relationship remains controversial. Whether the risk of cognitive disorders differs by age has remained unclear.
The retrospective cohort study drew on data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Patients newly diagnosed with pSjD between 2010 and 2021 were identified and compared with propensity score-matched controls, and 12,731 patients with pSjD and 36,514 matched controls were analysed.
The primary outcome was a composite of incident Alzheimer’s dementia (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), secondary dementia, unclassified dementia, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Compared with matched controls, pSjD was associated with increased risks of total cognitive disorders (aHR 1.48), AD (aHR 1.48), secondary dementia (aHR 2.24), unclassified dementia (aHR 1.43), and MCI (aHR 1.62).
In age-stratified analyses, pSjD was associated with an increased risk of MCI among participants younger than 65 years (aHR 1.46). Among those aged 65 to 74 years, pSjD was associated with increased risks of total cognitive disorders, AD, and MCI.
These findings have highlighted cognitive morbidity in patients with pSjD, supporting clinical attention to MCI in those under 65 years, and a broader range of cognitive disorders in patients aged between 65 and 74 years. Future studies should clarify the mechanisms and test age-appropriate approaches to cognitive assessment and risk stratification in pSjD.
Reference
Min HK et al. Risk of cognitive disorders in patients with primary Sjögren’s disease: data from Korean Health Insurance Service. RMD Open. 2026;12:e006864.
Featured image: yavdat on Adobe Stock
Each article is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 License.
