August 12, 2024 – Researchers have identified two recent ways people can reduce their risk of infection dementia.
The two risk aspects play a job in as much as 9% of all dementia cases. An estimated 7% of dementia cases are linked to high cholesterol and a couple of% to untreated vision loss in later life, based on a gaggle of 27 experts who recently published their new report as a part of the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care.
Until recently, there was no clear evidence as as to whether LDL (also generally known as “bad” cholesterol) affects dementia risk, the study authors wrote. But quite a few recent analyses have shown that prime LDL levels of cholesterol are closely linked to a better risk of dementia. They now recommend diagnosing and treating the disease by midlife at the most recent.
One possible explanation for this connection could possibly be that excess cholesterol can affect the brain and thus increase the chance of stroke. In addition, deposits (so-called amyloid beta plaques) and one other dementia-related change within the brain (so-called tau fibrils) can form within the brain, the researchers explain.
The second recent dementia risk factor relies on what the team called “substantial evidence” of a link between untreated vision loss and dementia, including higher risk related to cataracts, diabetic retinopathy (damaged blood vessels at the back of the attention) and other vision impairments that may interfere with an individual's day by day activities. There are several explanation why vision problems may affect dementia risk, the authors concluded, suggesting that diseases reminiscent of diabetes themselves increase dementia risk, but so do vision loss itself or common disease processes that affect each the eyes and brain. could play a vital role within the connection.
These two recent ways to scale back dementia risk bring the whole variety of risk aspects you’ll be able to influence to 14. Dementia is a gaggle of conditions that features Alzheimer's disease. They affect the flexibility to recollect, think and make decisions for greater than 6 million people within the United States. There isn’t any cure for dementia, so there’s increasing give attention to what people can do to scale back their risk.
In 2020, the research group described 12 additional ways wherein people and communities may also help reduce the chance of dementia:
- Provide access to quality education for all and encourage people in midlife and beyond to do stimulating activities to guard their mental capacities.
- Take steps to scale back harmful noise exposure and help individuals with hearing loss get hearing aids.
- Treat depression.
- Help people prevent head injuries by encouraging them to wear a helmet.
- Promote physical activity.
- Help people quit smoking.
- Monitor and treat hypertension, especially after age 40.
- Treat obesity as early in life as possible and encourage people to take care of a healthy weight.
- Treat diabetes.
- Avoid heavy alcohol consumption.
- Prioritize opportunities to scale back social isolation.
- Reduce exposure to air pollution.