Will you develop dementia? These 11 factors are strong predictors in middle-age, scientists say

Scientists at institutions such as Oxford University examined data on nearly 225,000 UK residents with an average age of 60 and followed them for 14 years.During that time, about 2% of people were diagnosed with a cognitive degenerative disorder, the symptoms of which are caused by Globally an estimated 55 million.

Using this information, the researchers narrowed down the nearly 30 factors that likely put people at higher risk of developing dementia into a set of 11 factors that seemed to have the most influence:

• age (Usually 65 and over)
• lack of education
• history of diabetes
• History of depression/current depression
• history of stroke
• parental dementia
• economic disadvantage
• hypertension
• high cholesterol
• Living alone
• as male

The new screening tool developed from the findings is called the UK Biobank Dementia Risk Score (UKBDRS). Dr Raihaan Patel, professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford and lead author of the study, hopes primary care providers will eventually be able to use it to easily screen patients aged 50-73 for the disorder.

“We see this as the first step in identifying high-risk or low-risk,” Patel said, adding that high-risk individuals could be sent for further testing.

Compared to other existing screening tools, UKBRS combined with knowledge of whether an individual carries APOE e4 gene variants that put them at higher risk of dementia gave the most accurate results, followed by UKBRS alone, age alone, and then the other three existing screening tools.

Patel said the new screener could serve as a conversation starter, giving providers the opportunity to encourage people with diabetes, depression, high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol to make lifestyle changes that can reduce their risk of developing these conditions. People with diabetes, depression, high blood pressure and high cholesterol were three times more likely to develop dementia than their peers.

“By paying attention to cardiometabolic health, you can indeed reduce your risk significantly,” he said.

What is dementia?

Dementia is not a single disease. Instead, it’s a collection of symptoms that fit a wide variety of conditions caused by abnormal changes in the brain, such as disease or injury. Contrary to popular belief, dementia is not a normal part of the aging process.

Alzheimer’s disease accounts for the majority of dementia cases – 60% to 80%, According to the Alzheimer’s Association. other forms, According to the World Health Organizationinclude:

• vascular dementia, Caused by impaired blood flow to the brain.
• dementia with Lewy bodies, Abnormal deposits of proteins inside nerve cells. (This situation is due to late actor robin williams.)
• Other disorders that cause frontotemporal dementia, Caused by degeneration of the frontal lobe of the brain. (Frontotemporal dementia has recently been in the headlines thanks to Bruce Willis’ recent diagnosis of the disease.)

It can also be caused by other factors, including medical events and conditions, such as:

• stroke
• HIV
• harmful alcohol use
• Repeat Physical Brain Review (“Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy”)
• Nutritional deficiency

Boundaries between different types of dementia “are unclear and mixed forms often coexist”, According to the World Health Organization.

In addition to the risk factors discussed above, other risk factors include:

• overweight or obese
• smokes
• drinking too much
• lack of physical activity
• socially isolated

dementia symptoms

The World Health Organization says the first sign of dementia is usually a change in mood or behavior. Symptoms usually get worse over time, eventually leading to the need for help with daily living.

According to the International Health Organization, early signs and symptoms include:

• forgetting things or recent events
• lost or misplaced things
• getting lost while walking or driving
• Get confused even in familiar places
• lose the sense of time
• Difficulty solving problems or making decisions
• Having trouble following a conversation or finding words
• Difficulty performing daily tasks
• Visual misjudgment of distance to objects

Changes in mood or behavior may look like the following:

• Feeling sad, angry, or anxious about memory loss
• personality change
• Misconduct
• quitting work or social activities
• decreased interest in the emotions of others

What to do if you suspect dementia

Those who are concerned that they or a loved one may have dementia should consult with their primary care provider, who may perform a physical exam and detailed medical history, laboratory tests and ask questions.

Sometimes it is difficult to diagnose a specific type of dementia due to overlapping conditions, According to the Alzheimer’s Association. If this is the case, your doctor may simply diagnose “dementia” and refer you to a specialist such as a neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist or geriatrician.