It was previously believed that the main and almost sole factor contributing to the development of dementia is genetic predisposition. However, new research has revealed numerous reasons that increase the risk of the disease, particularly at a younger age.
For a long time, it was believed in scientific circles that dementia is a genetic disease, and its development usually begins at the age of 65.
However, in recent years, there has been an increase in cases of this disease among younger individuals. This has prompted scientists to investigate new factors that contribute to the increased risk of dementia in people who are in the active phase of life.
An international team of researchers from the University of Exeter (UK) and Maastricht University (Netherlands) conducted an extensive analytical study, during which various causes were identified. The scientists analyzed data from 350,000 people collected from the UK Biobank, the largest repository of biological samples.
The authors of the study examined information about the mental and physical health of the participants, as well as their lifestyle and living conditions. They then assessed all possible factors that could contribute to an increased risk of developing dementia, regardless of genetic predisposition.
It turned out that the development of dementia at a young age is significantly influenced by socio-economic status, harmful habits, social isolation, vitamin D deficiency, depression, stroke, hearing problems, and cardiovascular diseases.
If these accompanying factors are combined with genetic predisposition, the risk of the disease increases manifold. This applies to individuals significantly younger than 65, who are full of energy, lead active lives, and are building families and careers. The authors of the study discussed the progress of their research in an article published in JAMA Neurology.
