Exploration of the molecular origins of sex-specific and temporal comorbidity patterns in dementia: insights from the Austrian claims data

Dementia is a progressive condition that impairs cognitive processes such as memory, decision-making, and the ability to manage daily activities. Recent estimates suggest that more than half of all dementia cases could be preventable by addressing their risk factors, including disease comorbidities such as diabetes and vision loss. Yet, we lack a comprehensive molecular map of dementia comorbidities. In this work, we analyzed Austrian nationwide hospital claims data, comprising 13 million hospital stays from 2015 to 2019, to systematically assess dementia-related risk across disease comorbidity patterns, covering both their molecular relationships and their epidemiological overrepresentation. We identified disease trajectories occurring before and at the time of dementia diagnosis, revealing both sex-specific and shared comorbidity patterns. Overall, we identified 51 potential risk factors, with a prominent contribution from endocrine and metabolic disorders. While Parkinson’s disease emerged as a strong molecularly related driver of dementia, we also identified emerging and previously under-chracterized risk factors, including vitamin D deficiency. This integrative framework provides a comprehensive view of dementia-associated disease networks and identifies novel, potentially modifiable risk factors. These results offer new opportunities for targeted prevention strategies and advance our understanding of the complex interplay between comorbidities and dementia development.