The 9 risk factors linked to dementia
NINE risk factors including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking may contribute to two thirds of dementia cases worldwide.
New research shows there are nine risk factors linked to dementia
All nine, which also include poor education, depression and frailty, can be tackled, offering hope of combating the scourge of Alzheimer’s disease for which there is currently no cure.
Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco analysed 300 studies to find out which factors had the strongest evidence of a link to the disease.
We now need to see significantly more investment in larger scale prevention studies
The results, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, suggest targeting diet, mental health, prescription drugs, pre-existing disease and lifestyle may reduce individuals’ risk.
However, Dr James Pickett, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “There is no silver bullet for preventing dementia and this study shows that we still don’t have a clear picture of which risk factors are the most important ones to tackle.
“We now need to see significantly more investment in larger scale prevention studies.”