Multiple lifestyle factors can increase your risk of early-onset dementia, according to a new study.
Young-onset, or early, dementia occurs when people develop dementia symptoms before the age of 65.
New research, published last month in JAMA Neurology, identified 15 key risk factors that could increase the risk of developing this condition. Among the risk factors that are modifiable and/or preventable are orthostatic hypotension (a drop in blood pressure when standing up from a sitting or lying position), depression, and alcohol use disorder.1
Other risk factors are difficult or impossible to modify, including low socioeconomic status and having inherited two copies of the apolipoprotein E gene, ε4 allele (APOE4).1
The new study followed more than 350,000 people younger than 65 in the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database, to gain insight into the risks of early dementia. After analyzing a broad range of factors, including everything from genetic influences to environmental factors, they were able to pinpoint key factors that increase a person’s risk of young-onset dementia.1
“All of these factors increase dementia risk as they all lead to the same fundamental mechanisms that ultimately threaten the brain,” David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM, a board-certified neurologist, best-selling author, and a fellow of the American College of Nutrition told Health.
“These mechanisms include inflammation [and] increased activity of damaging chemicals called free radicals,” he said.
Perhaps most importantly, these factors all threaten brain metabolism, Perlmutter explained. This means that these factors impact how the brain can use glucose to power its cells.
“Dementia, and Alzheimer’s specifically, are the consequence of compromised brain metabolism,” he said.
Here are the lifestyle and health factors that contribute to young-onset dementia, and how to lower your risk of developing the disease.
Understanding the Risk Factors for Early-Onset Dementia
Recent research in JAMA Neurology has shed light on early-onset dementia, which affects individuals under 65. The study meticulously examined over 350,000 people and recognized 15 risk factors that contribute to the development of this condition, with a focus on those that individuals can potentially modify to reduce their risk.
Key Modifiable Risk Factors:
- Alcohol use disorder
- Depression
- Orthostatic hypotension
These represent lifestyle and health issues that can lead to common mechanisms detrimental to brain health, such as inflammation and an increase in free radical activity. Critically, they affect brain metabolism and how the brain uses glucose, which is significant since compromised brain metabolism is a core issue in dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.
Unmodifiable Risk Factors:
- Low socioeconomic status
- Inherited genetic predispositions, such as having two copies of the APOE4 gene
Additional Factors to Consider:
- Vitamin D deficiency
- High levels of C-reactive protein
- Social isolation
- Lack of exercise (indicated by lower handgrip strength)
- Both excessive and no alcohol consumption
- Hearing impairment
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Stroke
Managing these risk factors can potentially lower the risk of young-onset dementia. It’s a reminder that both genetic and environmental influences play roles in our brain health and the onset of dementia-related diseases.