Study identifies modifiable risk factors for young onset dementia

The risk of young onset dementia could be reduced by targeting health and lifestyle factors, according to new research which identified a wide range of risk factors for the condition.

For the first time, the study, published in JAMA Neurology, challenges the notion that genetics are the sole cause of young onset dementia, laying the groundwork for new prevention strategies.

The new research by the University of Exeter and Maastricht University followed more than 350,000 participants younger than 65 across the UK from the UK Biobank study. The team evaluated a broad array of risk factors ranging from genetic predispositions to lifestyle and environmental influences.

The study revealed that lower formal education, lower socioeconomic status, genetic variation, lifestyle factors such as alcohol use disorder and social isolation, and health issues including vitamin D deficiency, depression, stroke, hearing impairment and heart disease significantly elevate risk of young onset dementia.

Much to learn about young onset dementia

Professor David Llewellyn of the University of Exeter emphasised the importance of the findings: “This breakthrough study illustrates the crucial role of international collaboration and big data in advancing our understanding of dementia. There’s still much to learn in our ongoing mission to prevent, identify, and treat dementia in all its forms in a more targeted way. This is the largest and most robust study of its kind ever conducted. Excitingly, for the first time it reveals that we may be able to take action to reduce risk of this debilitating condition, through targeting a range of different factors.”

Relatively little research has been done on young-onset dementia, though globally there are around 370,000 new cases of young-onset dementia each year.

The study’s support was supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK, The Alan Turing Institute/Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Alzheimer Nederland, Gieskes Strijbis Fonds, the Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC), the National Health and Medical Research Council, the National Institute on Aging, and Alzheimer Netherlands.

Dr Leah Mursaleen, Head of Clinical Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, which co-funded the study, added: “We’re witnessing a transformation in understanding of dementia risk and, potentially, how to reduce it on both an individual and societal level. In recent years, there’s been a growing consensus that dementia is linked to 12 specific modifiable risk factors such as smoking, blood pressure and hearing loss . It’s now accepted that up to four in 10 dementia cases worldwide are linked to these factors.

“This pioneering study shines important and much-needed light on factors that can influence the risk of young-onset dementia. This starts to fill in an important gap in our knowledge. It will be important to build on these findings in broader studies.”