A case of dementia on three could be avoided

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AFP

Thursday, 20 July, 2017 08:30

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Thursday, 20 July 2017 08:37

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A case of dementia on three could be avoided by aiming as early as childhood and throughout life to reduce the nine risk factors for developing the disease, according to a study published Thursday.

Nearly 50 million people suffer from dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) in the world, according to the latest estimates. A figure that is expected to reach 132 million people by 2050, ” notes an editorial in the medical journal The Lancet, which published the study.

The three risk factors more common on which it is possible to act on education, the hearing, and the tobacco, according to the report which models the impact of these nine factors of health and lifestyle at various stages of the existence.

Thus, increase education in early life would reduce the total number of cases of dementia of 8% if all were pursuing their studies in the secondary school, according to the estimate advanced. Preserve hearing in mid-life (45-65 years) would reduce the number of cases of 9% if all the seniors were benefiting from this support and the cessation of smoking in those over 65 years of age would reduce the cases of 5%.

The other possibilities relate to high blood pressure (representing 2% of all cases of dementia) and obesity (1% of cases) among 45-65 years of age. Has a more advanced age (above 65 years), it is intended to combat the depression (4 %), physical inactivity (3%), social isolation (2%), and diabetes (1%).

The study thus provides the proportion of all dementia cases could be prevented if the risk factors were completely eliminated. If the elimination of these factors may prevent a case of dementia in three (35%), find a way to counteract the genetic risk factor for major Alzheimer’s dementia, characterized by the presence of the version of a gene known as “APOE4”, would avert less than one in 10 (7%), according to this work.

The lead author professor Gill Livingston, University College London (United Kingdom) therefore pleads for “a broader approach to the prevention of dementia,” which will help prevent the growing number of cases of dementia worldwide.

These estimates have limitations, the food and alcohol in particular are not taken into account.