Biggest dementia risk factor revealed – and millions have it

A CARDIOVASCULAR condition affecting millions of Britons could be the biggest risk factor for developing dementia, scientists have revealed.

Persistent high blood pressure — also known as hypertension — puts extra pressure on your arteries and heart, which can cause strokes and heart attacks.

According to UCL researchers, the condition can make you more likely to develop memory-robbing dementia.

Up to one in three adults in the UK have high blood pressure, according to Blood Pressure in the UK.

Dementia risk factors associated with heart health may have increased over time, according to the study, compared to factors such as smoking and having less education.

The findings suggest that improving cardiovascular health may help prevent future cases of dementia.

An estimated 944,000 people in the UK live with dementia and data suggests that more than half the adult population knows someone who has been diagnosed with a form of the disease.

In the new study, UCL researchers analyzed 27 articles involving people with dementia around the world, with data collected between 1947 and 2015.

Using the data, they calculated the biggest risk factors associated with developing dementia over time.

The condition often develops due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, education, and smoking.

The team found that rates of obesity and diabetes have increased over time, as has their contribution to the risk of dementia.

But being less educated and smoking have become less common over the years and have been linked to a decline in dementia rates.

Most of the studies reviewed showed that hypertension is the biggest risk factor for dementia.

But researchers also noted that proactive management of high blood pressure also improved over time.

Lead author Naaheed Mukadam, from the Division of Psychiatry at UCL, said: “Cardiovascular risk factors may have contributed more to dementia risk over time, so these merit more targeted action for future dementia prevention efforts. insanity.

“Our results show that education levels have increased over time in many higher-income countries, meaning this has become a less important dementia risk factor.

“However, smoking levels have also declined in Europe and the US as it has become less socially acceptable and more expensive.”

Dr Mukadam added that the findings – published in Lancet Public Health – suggest that interventions in the population could “significantly” affect the occurrence of risk factors.

Governments should consider implementing schemes such as global education policies and smoking restrictions, she said.

An estimated 50 million people worldwide now live with dementia, and by 2050 this number is expected to triple to 152 million, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Dr Isolde Radford, the charity’s senior policy manager, said: “This new analysis says it loud and clear – that managing high blood pressure and maintaining our hearts healthy is playing an important role in reducing the risk of developing dementia.

“With no treatments currently available in the UK that can stop or slow down the diseases that cause dementia, there has never been a more pressing need to look after our brain health to help reduce the future risk of developing dementia.

“Evidence tells us that what is good for our hearts is good for our brains, and this new research highlights the importance of this message.

“So things like eating a healthy, balanced diet and staying physically active can help people reduce their risk of dementia.

“But only one in three people know they can reduce their risk of developing dementia and there are many factors, such as income and ethnicity, that affect our ability to do so.

“That’s why it’s vital that next The UK government takes steps to help make healthy lifestyles as attainable as possible for everyone.”