Study Significantly fewer dementia cases thanks to the right prevention

Elimination of risk factors should begin as early as childhood
Medical research has made great advances in recent years, yet degenerative dementias, such as dementia, have been reported. Alzheimer's not curable until today. However, the number of cases worldwide could be significantly reduced if the risk factors were tackled from childhood on. This is reported by an international team of researchers currently in the journal "The Lancet".

Dementia diseases can not be cured until today
Even today, dementia diseases such as Alzheimer's can not be cured despite medical progress. The currently available therapies can only slow down the disease process and relieve concomitant symptoms. However, as an international research team in The Lancet writes, many dementia cases worldwide could be prevented by eliminating certain risk factors from childhood on. These include, inter alia, lack of education in adolescence (up to 15 years) and obesity and hypertension in later years.

Dementia diseases usually show up only at an advanced age. Many cases could, according to a new study, be prevented by certain preventive measures. (Image: Ocskay Mark / fotolia.com)

Changes in the brain do not start in old age
The scientists around Gill Livingston from University College London (UK) investigated the effects of a total of nine health and lifestyle factors, some of which concern only one phase of life, but can also apply to life as a whole. In addition to the three mentioned include hearing loss, social isolation, depression, diabetes, smoking and lack of exercise. If all these factors were counteracted consistently from a childhood perspective, this could prevent a third of the cases worldwide, according to a report by University College London.

"Although dementia is diagnosed later in life, brain changes usually begin to develop years in advance. Risk factors for the development of the disease occur not only in old age, but throughout life, "says study leader Gill Livingston.

Longer schooling reduces the risk of disease
In adolescence, therefore, the best possible school education plays an important role in prevention, since learning and training of cognitive abilities strengthens the resilience of the brain. If all children or adolescents around the world were given access to appropriate education, experts could be prevented from having eight percent of later dementia cases. Preventing hearing loss in middle age has even greater impact on reducing the number of cases, the report said.

However, the scientists acknowledge that "the numbers [.] Should be interpreted with caution" as it is not possible to completely eliminate all risk factors. In addition, other potential risk factors such as e.g. Alcohol consumption or lack of sleep has not been included. Nevertheless, the study shows that it is possible to combat incurable dementia.

Number of people affected by 2050 nearly three times as high
According to the latest estimates, around 47 million people worldwide would be living with dementia. However, the number of those affected will increase to 20 million by 2050 and thus almost triple, according to the researchers. In the low and middle income countries, the highest increase is expected.

"The authors rightly draw attention to the importance and huge potential of prevention through changes in lifestyle and environmental factors," commented "dpa" Monique Breteler from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn. However, the director of population-based health research is still to clarify which of the factors are actually causally related to dementia.

Researchers are optimistic about the future
"We believe that a broader approach to dementia prevention, reflecting these changing risk factors, will benefit our aging societies and help prevent the increasing number of dementia cases worldwide," said Professor Livingston.

Martin Prince from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College in London agrees: "The research group recommends a comprehensible package of actions that complements the global approach to dementia on a scientific basis," the scientist said in a commentary to the study. (No)