Lifestyle During Adulthood Affects Dementia Development More Than Aging Factors: New Study

Dementia risk is affected more by unhealthy or reversible lifestyle behavior rather than aging factors alone, according to a new study by scientists from Toronto, Canada.

The risk of having a dementia has been found to be dependent on what an individual consumes or does during his or her adulthood.

Prior to the study, there are already existing anecdotal evidence and empirical research that links lifestyle to dementia development.

However, the new study is likely the first of its kind to lay out the specific risk factors for the propagation of the memory-killing illnesses.

Lifestyle and Dementia

(Photo : Photo by Maria Orlova)

In the study published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring on Wednesday, July 13, the Canadian researchers said that an unhealthy lifestyle can age a person's brain by up to 20% more years compared to healthy people.

The research team said that lifestyle habits and specific health conditions are a more significant risk factors for dementia development, compared to the healthy people.

While the research focused such phase during adulthood, it is still clear that lifestyle is the largest impact regardless one if one is a young adult or not.

In fact, the study found that a dementia risk can start as early as 18 years, wherein lifestyle would be the determining factor if a person would develop it later on in his or her life.

Also Read: Eyes: The Window to Dementia Diagnosis

Underlying Risk Factors

In addition to age, the following health risk factors for dementia development have been provided by the team:

Low education
Hearing loss
Traumatic brain injury
Alcohol or substance use
Hypertension
Smoking
Diabetes
Depression

What is Dementia?

Contrary to popular belief, dementia is not a specific disease itself but rather only a general term.

It mainly describes memory loss or one's impaired ability to remember, rationalize, or make decisions as factors that can already interfere with a person's daily activities, as summarized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC emphasizes that dementia is not a normal part of aging but quickly points out that people with at least 65 years of age are susceptible to the mental health conditions.

The health organization said 5 million adults lived with dementia in 2014, but the figure is expected to increase by 2060.

Canada Dementia Statistics

According to the health charity Alzheimer Society of Canada, the following information are list of the latest statistical data concerning several factors that make up and affect dementia cases in Canada:

Urgency of cases
Economic and healthcare cost
Social stigma
Research progress

For urgency of cases, the charity says that more than 500,000 Canadians are currently living with dementia, and the projected number of people with in the North American country could spike to 912,000 by the year 2030.

In addition, approximately 76,000 Canadians are being diagnosed with dementia each year; 65% of this diagnosis consists of women with the age of 65 and above.

Furthermore, one out of five Canadians have experienced caring for an individual living with dementia.

The notorious group of mental disease has cost the Canadian economy and healthcare over $10.4 billion each year.