A recent study has listed 11 risk factors that could reveal your risk of developing dementia. As you may know, dementia affects millions of people throughout the world. According to the World Health Organization in 2021, 57 million people worldwide lived with dementia, and about 60% of them lived in low- or middle-income countries. Dementia, like many other conditions, does not have a cure, so its treatment involves delaying the onset of symptoms. The best way to ensure the symptoms stay under control is by getting an early diagnosis. However, the visible effects of conditions like dementia take a long time, they only become obvious when the disease has affected your body for a long time. With the help of these risk factors, published in the BMJ Mental Health, people can work on reducing their chances of developing dementia. 11 Key Risk Factors of Dementia To help people know if they are at high risk and inspire them to make changes, UK researchers have developed a new tool. This tool, called the UK Biobank Dementia Risk Score (UKBDRS), uses a set of characteristics to correctly predict up to 80% of dementia cases. Researchers believe that using this score could help prevent up to 40% of future dementia cases. Researchers tested 28 different factors linked to dementia but found that 11 characteristics stood out as the most important predictors. These 11 factors include a mix of things we can change and things we cannot change. The new factors identified in the study, published in BMJ Mental Health, are:AgeEducationFamily history of dementiaPovertyHistory of diabetesStrokeHigh blood pressureDepressionHigh cholesterolBeing maleLiving aloneThis new score was found to be just as effective as, and even outperformed, three other widely used dementia risk tests. Who Is More At Risk For Dementia? Some of these factors, like age and a family history of dementia, have long been known to increase risk. However, the study highlighted some newer or previously less emphasized risks: Men were found to be more susceptible to dementia. While historically women have had higher rates, men often face increased risks for heart and blood vessel problems like cardiovascular incidents and tend to visit the doctor less often. Lifestyle habits more popular among men, such as smoking and heavy drinking, can also raise the risk. Regardless of gender, living alone and living in poverty also increases the likelihood of cognitive decline. Feeling lonely can raise the risk of dementia by as much as 31% in older adults. Not having enough basic necessities, like food or shelter, can increase chronic stress, which is linked to higher rates of dementia. While these new factors are very promising for predicting future cognitive health, it's important to note one limitation of the study: the participants were not officially diagnosed using the standard clinical assessments. Despite this, the findings are helpful. People who score highly on this risk test, meaning they have several of the 11 risk factors, may benefit from seeing a doctor for additional testing and early intervention as more research is done.
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