Nine risk factors may contribute to two-thirds of Alzheimer's cases worldwide

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/b-nrf081815.php

Public Release: 20-Aug-2015
Nine risk factors may contribute to two-thirds of Alzheimer's cases worldwide
All potentially modifiable; could prove promising options for prevention, say researchers
BMJ

Nine potentially modifiable risk factors may contribute to up to two thirds of Alzheimer's disease cases worldwide, suggests an analysis of the available evidence, published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

The analysis indicates the complexity of Alzheimer's disease development and just how varied the risk factors for it are.

But the researchers suggest that preventive strategies, targeting diet, drugs, body chemistry, mental health, pre-existing disease, and lifestyle may help to stave off dementia. This could be particularly important, given that, as yet, there is no cure, they say.

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The nine risk factors included obesity, current smoking (in the Asian population), carotid artery narrowing, type 2 diabetes (in the Asian population), low educational attainment, high levels of homocysteine, depression, high blood pressure and frailty.

The combined PAR indicated that these nine factors, each of which is potentially modifiable, contribute up to around two thirds of cases globally.

This is an observational study, so no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, but the researchers suggest that preventive strategies, targeting diet, prescription drugs, body chemistry, mental health, underlying disease, and lifestyle might help curb the number of new cases of Alzheimer's disease.