{
  "id": 1797314,
  "title": "Severe mental illness linked to higher dementia risk even at young age, and greater stroke risk earlier in life",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/severe-mental-illness-linked-to-higher-dementia-risk-even-at-young",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-18T20:40:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-severe-mental-illness-linked-higher.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study has found that people with severe mental illness face a much higher risk of dementia and stroke, even at a young age. Researchers analyzed health records from nearly 700,000 people in Catalonia, Spain, and discovered significant links between severe mental illness and cognitive decline and cardiovascular issues. Adults ages 30-39 with severe mental illness had 20 times higher odds of developing dementia compared to those without a psychiatric diagnosis. The risk of ischemic stroke was nearly three times higher for adults ages 40-49 with severe mental illness. This research emphasizes the need for mental health care to be integrated with overall health care to address risks earlier in life.",
  "summary": "People living with severe mental illness face a substantially higher risk of dementia throughout adulthood, as well as a significantly elevated risk of stroke in early and middle adulthood, according to a large new study based on health records from Catalonia, Spain. The findings, published in European Neuropsychopharmacology, suggest that physical health risks linked to severe psychiatric…",
  "key_points": [
    "Severe mental illness linked to higher dementia risk in young adults",
    "Adults 30-39 with severe mental illness 20 times more likely to develop dementia",
    "Ischemic stroke risk 3 times higher for adults 40-49 with severe mental illness"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}