Brain Researcher High education can reduce our risk of dementia

Better education and good cardiovascular health reduce dementia chance
When people suffer from dementia, many unpleasant problems arise for those affected and their relatives. Ill patients are usually hardly able to lead their lives independently and require extensive care. For a long time, physicians have been trying to understand the causes of the disease better and to develop a means of treating dementia. High levels of education and good cardiovascular health could help reduce the risk of dementia, American researchers say.

Dementia disease has dire consequences for those affected and their relatives. Dementia is a big problem in our society today, affecting more and more old people worldwide. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine are now trying to better understand the disease and find new ways people can avoid dementia. The scientists published their findings in the journal "New England Journal of Medicine".

A high level of education counteracts the risk of dementia. (Image: alphaspirit / fotolia.com)

Good education and a healthy heart protect us from dementia
Many people around the world are suffering from dementia. The total number is estimated at about 47.5 million. The results of the new study show that education levels and good cardiovascular health can help reduce the likelihood of dementia. For their new study, the researchers examined the health data of 5,205 subjects. The subjects were part of the "Framingham Heart Study". The incidence of dementia in the United States has fallen significantly since the mid-1970s, says Drs. Sudha Seshadri from the Boston University School of Medicine. The age at which brain disease sets in increased from an average of 80 years in the late 1970s to 85 years in recent years, the researchers report. So there could be ways to delay or prevent the disease.

Our education and the health of the heart seem to be factors related to the decline of dementia cases. Seshadri. However, there are other factors that could account for such a decline. The significant decline in the risk of dementia was seen only in people who had at least a school leaving certificate, say the experts. In this group of subjects, dementia cases decreased by about 44 percent compared to those without a school-leaving certificate. However, this risk reduction was only found in subjects with a school leaving certificate, add the physicians. Earlier research had found that people with better education and mentally challenged work had a decline in cognitive abilities about five years later. Seshadri. However, education may also reflect individual economic and social status, and people with higher education may simply have better conditions for good old-age care, the expert stresses.

The researchers also discovered that improving cardiovascular health is associated with the decline in dementia risk. An improved health of our heart could thus make a big difference, the scientists explain in their study.

Tripling dementia cases by the year 2050
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. In 2015, there were about 5.1 million people in the US who were suffering from this disease, say the doctors. The number of dementias may increase significantly in the coming decades. The incidence of the disease is expected to rise to 13.8 million cases by 2050, say the American experts. This would mean that the number of sufferers will triple over this period, unless a medical breakthrough prevents the disease or allows for improved treatment, the researchers warn. (As)