High incidence of dementia in Faroese-born female residents in Denmark

Abstract

Introduction: To assess whether the incidence of dementia among immigrants in Denmark from the Faroe Islands is similar to that of the inhabitants of their new country. Methods: Data on Faroese-born immigrants in Denmark were retrieved from the Danish Central Population Register. Incident dementia cases were identified from the Danish National Patient Register. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were used to compare the dementia incidence in immigrants with the general Danish population. Results: Female, first-generation Faroese immigrants had double the risk of dementia compared with Danes (SIR 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-2.5); the excess risk prevailed even beyond 10 years in Denmark, and it affected all sub-types of dementia. In male immigrants, only a modest, statistically non-significant excess risk was seen (SIR 1.2, 95% CI 0.9-1.6). Discussion: The observation of an excess risk of dementia in women only but not in men of Faroese origin living in Denmark underscores the complexity of the etiology of dementia.