Alcoholism, social isolation and vitamin D deficiency are among a dozen health problems that can increase the risk of early dementia, according to a new study.
The UK Biobank study, published in JAMA Neurology with the American Medical Association, looked at more than 356,000 people and analyzed 39 risk factors — genetic, demographic, lifestyle and environmental — that could lead to early dementia.
Researchers from the University of Exeter, Maastricht University and other institutions found that 15 factors significantly increased the risk, including low socioeconomic status, alcohol use disorder, social isolation, vitamin D deficiency, hearing impairment, stroke, diabetes and depression.
Meanwhile, factors associated with a lower risk of early onset dementia included more formal education, higher hand grip strength and moderate alcohol consumption.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Peter Dazeley / Getty Images Consuming any amount of alcohol causes brain damage, a new study finds
“We already knew from research on people who develop dementia in old age that there are a number of modifiable risk factors,” said Sebastian Köhler, professor of neuroepidemiology and one of the lead authors of the study. Guard reports. “In addition to physical factors, mental health also plays an important role, including avoiding chronic stress, loneliness and depression. I was surprised by the fact that this is also seen in dementia at a young age, and this could offer opportunities to reduce risk in this group as well.”
Dementia is an umbrella term for “impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with performing daily activities,” says the CDC, which points out that dementia is not part of “normal aging.”
“We are witnessing a transformation in understanding the risk of dementia and, potentially, how to reduce it at an individual and societal level,” said Dr Leah Mursaleen, head of clinical research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, which co-funded the study. “In recent years there has been a growing consensus that dementia is associated with 12 specific modifiable risk factors such as smoking, blood pressure and hearing loss. It is now accepted that up to four in 10 cases of dementia worldwide are linked to these factors.”
“This pioneering study sheds important and much-needed light on the factors that may influence the risk of dementia in young adults,” continued Mursaleen. “This begins to fill an important gap in our knowledge. It will be important to build on these findings in larger studies.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education