Risk factors of dementia can begin in childhood – prevention should be a whole life throughout life

Above 60 million people It is estimated that he lives with dementia, which causes over 1.5 million deaths annually and the annual cost of the global healthcare economy in the area USD 1.3 trillion (almost 1 billion pounds).

Despite the decades of scientific research and billions of pounds of investment, dementia still has no cure. But what about the elderly saying that prevention is better than medicine? Is it possible to prevent dementia? And if so, at what age should we take steps?

Despite what many believe, dementia is not simply an inevitable consequence of aging or genetics. It is estimated that up to 45% Dementia cases can be potentially prevented by reducing exposure to 14 modifiable risk factors around the world.

Many of these risk factors – including things such as obesity, lack of exercise and smoking – are traditionally studied for centuries (about 40 to 60 years). As a result, several leading global health bodies and charity organizations now recommend that strategies to reduce the risk of dementia should to be a target at this age get the greatest benefits.

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We argueHowever, that aiming at an even younger age will probably still provide greater benefits. But how do we talk? And why would exposure to risk factors have many decades before the symptoms of dementia traditionally seemed critical?

To explain, let’s work back from the medium centuries, starting from three decades covering the period of puberty and teenage adulthood (from ten to 40 years).

In teenage years there are many risk factors for dementia related to lifestyle, and then stay in adulthood. For example, 80% of teenagers Life with obesity It will remain in this way when they are adults. The same applies High blood pressure AND no exercise. Similarly, virtually all adults who smoke or drink He started these unhealthy habits during puberty or around it.

This is two potential problems, considering the average age as the best starting point for dementia prevention strategy. First of all, the change in health behavior that has already been established is extremely arduous. Secondly, most high -aged risk people will almost certainly be exposed to the harmful effects of these risk factors for many decades.

As such, the most effective actions will probably be aimed at preventing unhealthy behavior instead of trying to change the long habits of decades down the line.

Dementia roots

But what about people’s lives? Could the roots of dementia stretch from childhood or infancy? Growing evidence He suggests so, and the exposure of the risk factor in the first decade of life (or even at the womb) may have implications for the risk of dementia for life.

To understand why this is so, it is critical to remember that our brain undergoes three main periods in our lives – development in early life, a period of relative stability in adult life and fall (in some functions) in elderly age.

Most of the dementia studies, understandable, focus on changes related to this decrease in later life. But it is growing evidence that many differences in the brain structure and functions related to dementia in the elderly could have existed at least partly since childhood.

For example, in long -term studies in which people had their cognitive abilities throughout their lives, One of the most important factors The explanation of someone’s cognitive abilities at the age of 70 is their cognitive abilities when they were 11 years elderly. This means that older adults with worse cognitive skills often had these lower skills than childhood, and not the differences are only caused by a faster decline in older age.

Similar patterns are also evident when they are looking for evidence related to dementia Brain scanswith some changes that seem to be more related Risk factor exhibitions in an early period of life than the current unhealthy lifestyle.

To sum up, maybe it’s time to prevent dementia, which can be considered a whole life, and not just focusing on elderly age.

Life prevention plan

But how to achieve this in practice? Intricate problems require complicated solutions and there is no quick solution to solve this challenge. Many factors contribute to the augment or reduction of the risk of the individual’s dementia – there is no approach “one size matches everyone”.

But one thing was generally agreed that the massive drugs of teenage people are not an answer. Instead – along with 33 other leading international researchers in the field of dementia – we recently published A set of recommendations In the case of activities that can be taken at an individual, social and national level to improve brain health from an early age.

Our statement of consensus and recommendations provide two glowing messages. First of all, a significant reduction in the risk of dementia for as many people as possible will only be possible thanks to a coordinated approach that combines healthier environments, better education and smarter public policy.

Secondly – and maybe, most importantly – although it is never too slow to take steps to reduce the risk of dementia, it is never too early to start.