Critical risk factors for dementia

Researchers from the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford have analyzed data from participants in the UK Biobank to show that diabetes, traffic-related air pollution, and alcohol consumption are the most harmful factors out of 15 modifiable risk factors for dementia.

They had previously identified a vulnerable area in the brain, a specific network of higher-order regions that develop later in adolescence and show early degeneration in old age. This brain network is also particularly susceptible to schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.

In their new study, published in Nature Communications, they investigated the genetic and modifiable influences on these fragile brain regions by examining brain scans of over 45,000 UK Biobank participants.

They examined 161 risk factors for dementia and ranked their impact on this vulnerable brain network beyond the natural effects of aging. These modifiable risk factors can potentially be changed throughout life to reduce dementia risk and were classified into 15 broad categories: blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, weight, alcohol consumption, smoking, depressive mood, inflammation, pollution, hearing, sleep, socialization, diet, physical activity, and education.

Professor Gwenaëlle Douaud, who led the study, stated: "We know that specific parts of the brain degenerate earlier during aging, and in this new study, we have shown that these specific brain areas are most vulnerable to diabetes, traffic-related air pollution—increasingly significant in dementia—and alcohol, out of all the common risk factors for dementia."

Professor Anderson Winkler, a co-author from the National Institutes of Health and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the US, emphasized the unique approach of the study, examining the individual contribution of each modifiable risk factor to evaluate the resulting degeneration of this particular brain "weak spot." They found that, after considering age and sex effects, three factors emerged as the most harmful: diabetes, air pollution, and alcohol.

This research sheds light on some of the most critical risk factors for dementia and provides novel information that can contribute to prevention and future targeted intervention strategies.

Source: Science Daily