Policy and lifestyle interventions to address 14 dementia risk factors could significantly curb the global burden of this neurocognitive disorder.
According to a group of 27 dementia experts from around the world, addressing 14 risk factors throughout life could prevent or delay almost half of dementia cases in the worldwhich currently amount to 55 million.
Dementia has no known cureand the increase in life expectancy suggests that the number of cases will increase to 139 million in 2050, according to ‘Alzheimer’s Disease International’.
This means that prevention and delay of the disease are essential to improve the health and well-being of older adultswith better prospects if efforts to curb these risk factors begin in childhood and reach all segments of the population.
For the first time, high cholesterol and vision loss were included among the risk factors cited by the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care, the expert group that reviewed the latest evidence on the neurocognitive disorder. Their findings were last updated in 2020.
It is estimated that 7% of dementia cases are attributable to a low cholesterol in middle agearound 40 years old, while 2% of cases are related to untreated vision loss in later stages of life.
The other 12 risk factors are low educational level, hearing deficiencies, hypertension, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, head injuries, air pollution and social isolation in old age.
Together, they are responsible for 40% of all dementia cases in the world, with the hearing impairmenthe low educational level and the Social isolation those that have the greatest impact, according to experts.
According to experts, these risks are usually “grouped”, so that some people experience several of these factors at once. Prolonged exposure throughout life can also increase the risk of dementia.
“Our new report reveals that much more can and should be done to reduce the risk of dementia“Gill Livingston, lead author of the study and professor of older people’s psychiatry at University College London (UCL), said in a statement.
Researchers who were not involved in the study noted that, although the results are promising, It is still unclear how certain risk factors, such as hypertension, are related to dementia.
“Our evidence base may also be inadequate to capture other important influences on dementia, such as influences very early in life (e.g. brain development in utero or adolescence) and the role of reproductive health“Dr Sarah-Naomi James, senior researcher at the UCL MRC Health and Aging Across the Lifespan Unit, said in a statement. James was not involved in the preparation of the report.
The Lancet commission proposed policy and individual measures to reduce the risk of dementia.
For example, experts recommend that high-quality education is widely accessiblethat middle-aged people receive enough mental stimulationwhat stop smoking and of excesive drinkingand exercise regularly and carry helmet when riding a bike.
“These conclusions highlight the intersection between daily habits and long-term brain healthand emphasize that comprehensive and ongoing health strategies from the earliest years – led by people and supported by government policies – can significantly influence the prevention of dementia,” Sandrine Thuret, Professor of Neuroscience at King’s College, said in a statement. of London. She was not involved in the report.
Livingston pointed out that government support is especially important to reduce inequalities in dementia in low-income countries and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.
Taking England as an example, Livingston and other co-authors estimated that population-level interventions to address six risk factors for dementia – tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption, hypertension, obesity, air pollution and head injuries – could save more than £4 billion (€4.7 billion) in health, social and care costs.
