Excessive alcohol consumption, air pollution and head injuries all increase the risk of dementia. Researchers are adding these three risk factors to a list of a total of twelve lifestyle characteristics that together can prevent or delay 40 percent of all dementia cases.
The report that in The Lancet appeared, builds on Previous research that found that at least a third of all dementia is due to nine lifestyle factors including middle-aged hearing loss, depression, smoking and lack of education.
The new study estimates that 1 percent of all dementia cases worldwide are attributable to excessive drinking in middle age, 3 percent to head injuries, and 2 percent would be due to exposure to air pollution in later life. The latter in particular could be an underestimate, the researchers warn.
No guilt
In the absence of a cure, healthy living is all we can do against dementia, but that certainly doesn’t mean people should feel guilty if they do become demented, says professor of epidemiology at Newcastle University, Fiona Matthews.
“We can reduce the risk as an individual and as a society, but even if you take all risk factors into account, it is still less than 50 percent of all dementia.” In other words, for the most part, there is little you can do about whether you develop dementia. Especially when you consider that you can do very little about risk factors such as air pollution, hearing loss, inadequate education and blows to the head.
Bron(nen): The Guardian
–
–
