As of: February 8, 2024, 10:44 p.m
By: Julian Mayr
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Dementia also affects younger people.
Whether and when the disease breaks out depends not only on age and genetic makeup.
A new study provides groundbreaking results.
Frankfurt – Dementia is an insidious disease.
In the beginning, it is primarily the short-term memory that suffers; what was just perceived is forgotten again after a short time.
Later, those affected banish memories from their long-term memory, lose cognitive and motor skills and often do not recognize close relatives.
The risk of developing a form of dementia increases with age.
But as the German Alzheimer Society announced in 2022, it must be assumed that more than 100,000 people under the age of 65 are currently living with dementia in Germany.
However, the onset of the disease is not only hereditary, but is also influenced by other factors, as a new study shows.
Dementia doesn't just affect people of old age.
Whether and when the disease breaks out depends on numerous factors.
(Symbolic image) © fizkes/Pond5/IMAGO
It's not just the genetic makeup that counts: New study on risk factors for dementia in people under 65
Researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Maastricht evaluated health data from more than 356,000 patients from the United Kingdom in a cohort study.
The participants in the study were younger than 65 years.
The results of the study were presented in the journal “Jama Neurology” at the end of 2023.
The research team notes that dementia at younger ages is more often caused by genetic makeup than illnesses at older ages.
But only five to ten percent of clinical dementia cases could be explained by genetic factors.
The researchers' aim was to investigate modifiable risk factors, such as lifestyle or cardiovascular criteria, and their interactions with genetic factors in connection with dementia in people under 65.
Researchers find 15 factors that can influence dementia in people under 65
The international research team was able to identify a total of twelve factors that are associated with an increased risk of early dementia:
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Genetic factors (APOE4)
Orthostatic hypotension
depression
Alcohol abuse
stroke
Low socioeconomic status
diabetes
Cardiovascular diseases
Vitamin D deficiency
Hearing impairment
Social isolation
High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)
In addition, the researchers have also identified three mitigating factors for dementia under the age of 65.
This includes moderate alcohol consumption, higher education and stronger hand grip strength.
The latter can be an indicator of general muscle strength, but moderate alcohol consumption does not have to be due to the positive effects of beer, wine or other alcoholic drinks themselves.
Rather, the research team suspects that moderate alcohol drinkers live healthier lives on average than people who often do not consume alcohol for medical reasons.
Dementia in people under 65: Researchers find connections
The researchers emphasize how a person's mental health can play a significant role in the development of dementia.
However, healthy eating or cigarette consumption were not listed as risk factors.
However, the presence of certain factors does not necessarily lead to the disease.
In the study, the research team only identified connections and not causalities.
Nevertheless, the study provides important insights.
“Our research is groundbreaking because we have found that the risk of early dementia can be reduced,” says Janice Ranson from the University of Exeter, one of the co-authors of the study.
“We believe this could herald a new era in measures to reduce new cases.”
There is also evidence that Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, may be transmitted via a specific hormone.
In any case, certain signs should not be ignored: these signs indicate dementia.