Almost half (45 per cent) of all cases of Alzheimer’s disease could be prevented – or at least delayed – by managing 14 key risk factors, new research has found.
A coalition of 27 of the world’s leading dementia experts, led by University College London (UCL) has published the 2024 Lancet Commission Dementia prevention, intervention and care report, identifying the risk factors that contribute to Alzheimer’s risk the most.
People around the world are living longer lives at the same time rates of Alzheimer’s are climbing. As a result, the number of number of people living with dementia is expected to almost triple by 2050, from 57 million in 2019 to 153 million.
Twelve key risk factors had already been identified in the 2020 edition of the report. Those risk factors were: lower education levels, hearing impairment, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, air pollution, and social isolation.
These factors are linked to 36 per cent of all dementia cases, the latest report says.
The 2024 report adds two new Alzheimer’s risks: untreated visual impairment and high LDL cholesterol levels. According to the updated research, untreated vision loss accounts for around two per cent of Alzheimer’s cases and high cholesterol is responsible for around seven per cent.
Professor Gill Livingston, lead author of the report, says the results show how much control an individual can have over their personal Alzheimer’s risk level and that authorities have an opportunity to do more.
“Our new report reveals that there is much more that can and should be done to reduce the risk of dementia. It’s never too early or too late to take action, with opportunities to make an impact at any stage of life,” he says.
“That’s why it is vital that we redouble preventive efforts towards those who need them most.”
Because these risk factors are most continuous throughout life, the report outlines 13 recommendations for both people and governments to adopt, including:
- Providing all children with quality education and encouraging cognitive activity in midlife
- Making hearing aids available for all those with hearing loss
- Detecting and treating high LDL cholesterol in midlife from around age 40
- Making screening and treatment for vision impairment accessible to everyone
- Treating depression effectively
- Wearing helmets and head protection in contact sports and while riding bikes
- Prioritising supportive community environments and housing in order to increase social contact
- Reducing exposure to air pollution through stricter clean air policies
- Expanding measures to reduce smoking, including price controls, raising the minimum age of purchase, and total smoking bans.
- Reducing sugar and salt content in food sold in stores and restaurants
Not only will these actions reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s in the first place, they will also increase the number of years of healthy life experienced by people who do go on to develop dementia.
“Healthy lifestyles that involve regular exercise, not smoking, cognitive activity in midlife (including outside formal education) and avoiding excess alcohol can not only lower dementia risk but may also push back dementia onset,” Prof. Livingstone says.
“So, if people do develop dementia, they are likely to live less years with it. This has huge quality of life implications for individuals as well as cost-saving benefits for societies.”
How many of these risk factors apply to you? Which of the factors do you think you could change? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: LANS – it’s like Alzheimer’s but isn’t
At 74 I am not aware of having any of the risk factors listed.
But there might be too much sugar and salt in some of the foods I eat.
It’s not the high cholesterol per se that is the risk factor, it’s the high carb diet that causes both problems because the type of LDL formed is small and very dense, instead of big and fluffy (which is NOT a problem).