Vitamin D deficiency, depression and diabetes are among the health problems that increase the risk of early-onset dementia, suggests a recent study by Dutch and British scientists.
In early-onset dementia, the symptoms of the disease appear before the age of 65.
The research challenges the idea that genetics is the sole cause of dementia. A number of health problems, which should be targeted, can trigger the disease, scientists have found, according to BBC.
Alcohol abuse, stroke, social isolation or hearing impairment can also be to blame.
People with higher formal education were considered to be less at risk.
The study “opens new horizons of research” and could “herald a new era” for interventions to reduce new cases, explained Dr. Janice Ranson, one of the authors of the research.
The most common feature of dementia is memory loss, but other symptoms include changes in behavior and forgetting familiar places.
The study, carried out by scientists from the UK and the Netherlands, is “the largest and most robust study of its kind ever carried out”, said one of the authors, Professor David Llewellyn.
The research analyzed data from more than 350,000 people under the age of 65 in the UK.
Professor Llewellyn said there was still much to learn, but the study showed that steps could be taken to reduce the risk of developing the condition.
The condition is often assumed to be genetic, but for many people the exact cause is not known, which is the main reason why the team set out to investigate other risk factors in this study.
2023-12-30 08:05:00
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