Poor Cardiovascular Health Could Significantly Increase Dementia Rates: Lancet Study

A study published in The Lancet Public Health, led by UCL researchers, indicated that dementia risk factors linked to cardiovascular health may have risen over time compared to factors like smoking and lower education levels.

The research explored the changes in the prevalence of dementia risk factors and their potential impact on future dementia rates.

It is estimated that globally, there are currently around 50 million people living with dementia, and approximately 52% of the global population know someone who has been diagnosed with the disease.

Dementia remains one of the world's leading causes of death, particularly affecting older adults. There has been growing interest in potentially modifiable risk factors, as eliminating these could theoretically prevent about 40% of dementia cases, according to research led by UCL academics.

Dementia is typically characterized by a decline in cognitive abilities that interferes with daily life. It occurs due to damage to brain cells, impairing their ability to communicate effectively.

Genetic factors play a significant role in dementia risk. Environmental factors also contribute, including lifestyle choices like smoking, physical inactivity, and poor diet, which can increase the risk of vascular problems that affect brain health. Other risk factors include cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and diabetes.

In the new study, researchers analysed 27 papers spanning from 1947 to 2015 focusing on people with dementia worldwide. They extracted and evaluated data on dementia risk factors and assessed how these factors contributed to dementia cases over time.

The findings showed that smoking rates have decreased over the years, correlating with a decline in dementia rates. Conversely, obesity and diabetes rates have risen, leading to an increased risk of dementia. Hypertension emerged as the predominant risk factor across most studies reviewed, although proactive management of hypertension has also shown improvement over time.

“Cardiovascular risk factors may have contributed more to dementia risk over time, so these deserve more targeted action for future dementia prevention efforts. Our results show that smoking levels have declined. These patterns suggest that population-level interventions could significantly impact the occurrence of dementia risk factors,” said Lead author Dr Naaheed Mukadam.

Reference: Naaheed Mukadam, PhD, Frank J Wolters, MD PhD, Sebastian Walsh, MPhil, Lindsay Wallace, PhD, Prof Carol Brayne, PhD, Prof Fiona E Matthews, PhD, et al.; Changes in prevalence and incidence of dementia and risk factors for dementia: an analysis from cohort studies; The Lancet Public Health; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00120-8