Risk of Young-Onset Dementia Triggered by Alcohol Use, Vitamin D Deficiency

Experts said that alcohol use and Vitamin D deficiency could elevate the risk of young-onset dementia. Researchers have identified a wide range of risk factors for young-onset dementia.

The findings challenged the notion that genetics are the sole cause of the condition, laying the groundwork for new prevention strategies.

Risk Factors For Dementia

(Photo : Getty Images/Carsten Koall)

In the cohort study including more than 356, 052 participants in the UK Biobank, there were multiple modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for young-onset dementia.

Alcohol use, higher formal education, and lower physical frailty (higher handgrip strength) were associated with lower risk of incidence of young-onset dementia, whereas increased risk of young-onset dementia was associated with low socioeconomic status, apolipoprotein E status, alcohol use disorder, social isolation, vitamin D deficiency, high C-reactive protein levels, hearing impairment, orthostatic hypotension, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and depression.

This prospective cohort study used data from the UK Biobank, with baseline assessment between 2006 and 2010 and follow-up until March 31, 2021, for England and Scotland, and February 28, 2018, for Wales.

Participants younger than 65 years and without a dementia diagnosis at baseline assessment were included in this study.

Meanwhile, participants who were 65 years and older and those with dementia at baseline were excluded. Data were analyzed from May 2022 to April 2023.

A total of 39 potential risk factors were identified from systematic reviews of late-onset dementia and YOD risk factors and grouped into domains of:

Sociodemographic factors (education, socioeconomic status, and sex)
Genetic factors (apolipoprotein E)
Lifestyle factors (physical activity, alcohol use, alcohol use disorder, smoking, diet, cognitive activity, social isolation, and marriage)
Environmental factors (nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, pesticide, and diesel)
Blood marker factors (vitamin D, C-reactive protein, estimated glomerular filtration rate function, and albumin)
Cardiometabolic factors (stroke, hypertension, diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and aspirin use)
Psychiatric factors (depression, anxiety, benzodiazepine use, delirium, and sleep problems)

It was found out that of 356,052 included participants, 197,036 (55.3%) were women, and the mean (SD) age at baseline was 54.6 (7.0) years.

Higher Risk

It was found out that in the final model, 15 factors were significantly associated with a higher young-onset dementia risk, namely lower formal education, lower socioeconomic status, carrying 2 apolipoprotein ε4 allele, no alcohol use, alcohol use disorder, social isolation, vitamin D deficiency, high C-reactive protein levels, lower handgrip strength, hearing impairment, orthostatic hypotension, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and depression.

Scientists said that several factors, mostly modifiable, were associated with a higher risk of young-onset dementia. These modifiable risk factors should be incorporated in future dementia prevention initiatives and raise new therapeutic possibilities for young-onset dementia.

Researchers said that this breakthrough study had illustrated the crucial role of international collaboration and big data in advancing our understanding of dementia.

They said that there is still much to learn in the ongoing mission to prevent, identify, and treat dementia in all its forms in a more targeted way. Scientists said that this is the largest and most robust study of its kind ever conducted.

It had revealed what experts may be able to take action to reduce risk of this debilitating condition, through targeting a range of different factors.