- Young-onset dementia,
also known as early-onset dementia, occurs when a person younger than 65
develops dementia.
- Researchers based in England and the Netherlands
collaborated on a cohort study about young-onset dementia and focused on
risk factors that could contribute to developing the disease.
- The scientists learned that 15 risk factors
contribute to developing young-onset dementia, including diabetes, alcohol
abuse disorder, and social isolation.
According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 6 million adults age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the
most common form of dementia, which is about 1 out of every 10 adults in this
age bracket.
Many scientists
prioritize dementia research, which
includes finding medications to slow disease progression and learning more
about changes people can make to reduce symptoms.
Researchers from the
University of Exeter in England and Maastricht University in the Netherlands
worked together to study young-onset dementia.
They focused their
research on identifying risk factors for young-onset dementia and whether
targeting these risk factors could reduce the risk of developing early
dementia.
The research was
recently published in JAMA Neurology.
How common
is early onset dementia?
Alzheimer’s Disease
International projects dementia cases to increase from 55 million
people worldwide in 2020 to 139 million people by 2050.
With such a staggering
estimate, finding ways to identify factors that contribute to developing the
disease is of utmost importance.
While
young-onset dementia is rare, the CDC reports that young-onset Alzheimer’s disease still
affects around 200,000 people in the United States.
The researchers say that
since most of the research into young-onset dementia focuses on genetics, they
wanted to look more into how modifiable risk factors affect this form of
dementia. Some modifiable risk factors include smoking, mental health, and
alcohol intake.
The researchers used
data from the U.K. Biobank for
the study; the U.K. Biobank has nearly a half million participants who provide
their genetic and other medical data. The purpose of the U.K. Biobank is to
study health issues and make improvements in public health.
The scientists in the
current project used data from nearly 356,000 participants who met the
inclusion guidelines of being under age 65 and not having any form of dementia.
Women comprised just over half (55.3%) of the participant pool.
The participants for
U.K. Biobank underwent their initial assessments between 2006 and 2010 and
followed up over the years, with the last follow-up in March of 2021.
Some information
collected from the participants includes:
- biological
samples
- socioeconomic
status
- education
- alcohol or
drug use
- psychiatric
data
- environmental
exposure to toxins
- general
health information
After gathering
information about the participants, the researchers analyzed the data to see
whether there was an uptick in the incidence of young-onset dementia in people
exposed to certain risk factors.
New risk
factors linked to early-onset dementia
Throughout the follow-up
period, 485 people developed young-onset dementia.
The researchers
identified 39 risk factors, and after careful analysis, determined that 15 of
these risk factors increased the risk of young-onset dementia.
Some of the newly-identified risk factors include:
- lower
level of education
- alcohol
use disorder
- social
isolation
- vitamin
D deficiency
- high
C-reactive protein level
- depression
- stroke
- diabetes
“While further exploration of these risk factors is
necessary to identify potential underlying mechanisms, addressing these
modifiable factors may prove effective in mitigating the risk of developing
[young onset dementia] and can be readily integrated in current dementia prevention initiatives,” the authors wrote.
The study
findings show that staying on top of both mental and physical health is
important, especially during mid-life.
Further, many risk
factors are things people can take action on, such as expanding their social
activities or asking their healthcare team to assess their vitamin D levels.
Early
intervention key to preventing dementia, Alzheimer’s
Dr. David Merrill, a geriatric psychiatrist and director of the Pacific
Neuroscience Institute’s Pacific Brain Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, spoke
about the study with Medical News Today. Dr. Merrill weighed in on some of the risk factors
the researchers identified.
When asked why
depression could contribute to an increased risk for developing young-onset
dementia, Dr. Merrill explained that “depression has both direct and indirect
effects on brain structure and function.”
“We know that
chronic depression can lead to more rapid loss of brain volume over time with
aging,” Dr. Merrill noted. “Depression also tends to decrease levels of social
and cognitive activities, which are themselves risks for cognitive decline.”
“Untreated depression
can lead to progressively worsening cognitive decline, decline that may lessen
or even stop if the depression is addressed,” he added.
Dr. Merrill touched on
education level as a risk factor as well.
“[Socioeconomic status]
and education level are developmental factors related to ‘cognitive reserve.’
Cognitive reserve can be thought of as the buffer against developing
symptomatic dementia,” he said.
Dr. Allison B. Reiss, associate professor of medicine at NYU Long Island
School of Medicine and part of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of
America, also commented on the study
to MNT:
“There
are many things that can contribute to dementia that are in our environment and
they are now more and more recognized,” noted Dr. Reiss. “The brain needs a
very stable environment to function well and that includes many factors that
are within our control or can be treated very well if the person receives good
healthcare. The finding that genetics are not destiny is a hopeful one and
indicates that we can take action to keep our brains at peak function starting
in the younger years,” commented Dr. Reiss.
Dr. Reiss said that it
is helpful for people to know there are things they can do to improve their
chances of avoiding young-onset dementia.
“Diet,
lifestyle, stress reduction, heart-healthy behaviors and seeking help for
depression can make a difference,” pointed out Dr. Reiss.
“Improving financial
status and making sure that people have enough to eat, safe housing and social
connections does matter. It is important to see your healthcare provider
regularly, follow recommended screening guidelines and work with that person or
team to maintain overall good health.”
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