Cut Your Dementia Risk by 50%

Cut Your Dementia Risk by 50%

Millions of dementia cases, every year, could be prevented or delayed just by reducing certain risk factors? A major new study suggests that by tackling issues like smoking and air pollution, we can make a significant impact. However, experts do caution that while these measures are helpful, they're not a magic cure-all.

Dementia, a condition that gradually steals away memories, cognitive abilities, language skills, and independence, currently affects over 55 million people worldwide. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause, but dementia can stem from various diseases.

The Lancet recently published a comprehensive review of evidence, highlighting the "potential for prevention" in combating dementia. This study builds on a 2020 report that identified twelve key risk factors linked to 40% of dementia cases. These include low education levels, hearing issues, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, lack of physical activity, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, brain injuries, air pollution, and social isolation.

The latest findings add two more risk factors to the list: vision loss and high cholesterol. The researchers noted, "Nearly half of dementias could theoretically be prevented by eliminating these 14 risk factors."

Despite decades of research and significant funding, a cure for dementia remains elusive. However, two Alzheimer’s treatments – Biogen's Lecanemab and Eli Lilly's Donanemab – have been approved in the United States since 2023. These drugs target the build-up of tau and amyloid beta proteins, which are believed to play a key role in the disease's progression. Still, their benefits are modest, they come with severe side effects, and they're often very expensive. The European Union recently declined to approve Lecanemab and is still evaluating Donanemab.

Many researchers believe that prevention is a more effective approach. Masud Husain, a neurologist at the University of Oxford, stated, "Focusing on risk factors would be far more cost-effective than developing high-tech treatments which so far have been disappointing in their impacts on people with established dementia."

The Lancet study has been welcomed by experts, though some caution that the idea of preventing nearly half of all dementia cases needs perspective. The risk factors identified in the study haven't been definitively proven to directly cause dementia. For instance, could dementia be causing depression, rather than the other way around? Separating these risk factors can be challenging, as many are interconnected – like depression and isolation, or smoking and high blood pressure.

The study offers various recommendations, from personal actions like wearing a helmet while cycling to governmental measures such as improving access to education. Charles Marshall, a neurologist at Queen Mary University of London, pointed out, "It is not clear whether we could ever completely eliminate any of these risk factors. We already have public health programs to reduce smoking and hypertension, so how much more could we do?"

Importantly, experts emphasize that we should not blame individuals with dementia for their condition. Tara Spires-Jones, a neuroscientist at the University of Edinburgh, noted, “A large portion of dementias could not be prevented due to genes and factors beyond people's control, like opportunities for education as children."

In summary, while reducing risk factors can play a significant role in preventing or delaying dementia, it’s important to approach this topic with a balanced perspective. Prevention strategies are beneficial, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle in the fight against dementia.

 Study Link:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(24)00117-X/fulltext

Further Reading

Dementia is a general term for a decline in cognitive function severe enough to interfere with daily life. There are several different forms of dementia, each with its own set of symptoms and underlying causes. Here are the most common forms:

1. Alzheimer's Disease

• Description: The most common form of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of cases.

• Symptoms: Memory loss, confusion, difficulty with language, and changes in behavior and personality.

• Causes: Build-up of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain.

2. Vascular Dementia

• Description: The second most common type, caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.

• Symptoms: Problems with planning, organization, problem-solving, and slowed thinking. Often occurs suddenly after a stroke.

• Causes: Strokes or other conditions that affect blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the brain.

3. Lewy Body Dementia

• Description: Characterized by abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain.

• Symptoms: Memory loss, visual hallucinations, and movement difficulties similar to Parkinson's disease.

• Causes: Lewy bodies, abnormal protein deposits in nerve cells.

4. Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)

• Description: A group of disorders caused by progressive cell degeneration in the brain's frontal or temporal lobes.

• Symptoms: Changes in personality and behavior, difficulty with language, and motor dysfunction.

• Causes: Abnormal proteins in the brain, often hereditary.

5. Mixed Dementia

• Description: A combination of two or more types of dementia, most commonly Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

• Symptoms: A mix of symptoms associated with the types of dementia involved.

• Causes: Multiple underlying processes affecting brain function.

6. Parkinson's Disease Dementia

• Description: A decline in thinking and reasoning that develops in the later stages of Parkinson's disease.

• Symptoms: Memory problems, slow thought processes, and difficulties with concentration and judgment.

• Causes: Parkinson’s disease, which affects the brain's dopamine-producing cells.

7. Huntington's Disease

• Description: A genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain.

• Symptoms: Movement disorders, cognitive decline, and psychiatric problems.

• Causes: A genetic mutation in the huntingtin gene.

8. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)

• Description: A rare, degenerative, and fatal brain disorder.

• Symptoms: Rapid mental deterioration, memory loss, personality changes, and motor problems.

• Causes: Abnormal forms of prion protein that cause brain damage.

9. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

• Description: A chronic memory disorder caused by severe deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1).

• Symptoms: Confusion, memory loss, and coordination problems.

• Causes: Often associated with alcohol abuse, but can also result from malnutrition or other conditions leading to thiamine deficiency.

10. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)

• Description: A brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain's ventricles.

• Symptoms: Difficulty walking, memory loss, and urinary incontinence.

• Causes: Impaired cerebrospinal fluid drainage.