Considered as risk factors for Alzheimer’s, diabetes or hypertension could be measurable from adolescence. A discovery that could benefit older African Americans, who are particularly at risk of developing dementia.
- According to the Alzheimer’s Association, certain risk factors such as diabetes, weight or cardiovascular health from adolescence influence the risk of developing a neurodegenerative disease at the end of life.
- Social factors, such as education, are also to be considered in the onset of dementia.
- African-American seniors are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias as older whites.
Predicting the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in adolescents and young adults, even before the appearance of the first symptoms: many research works have been working on this for years by studying family history or by taking into consideration risk factors.
It is in this perspective that a new study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. According to its authors, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, overweight, arterial hypertension or even a combination of several factors are frequent in adolescence and are associated with a deterioration of cognitive functions at the end of life, in particular among children. of the African-American population. The latter has in fact twice the risk of suffering from dementia than white people of the same age.
Heart health influences cognitive health
A cognitive assessment was carried out with adolescents (12-20 years old), young adults (21-34 years old) and adults (35-56 years old). By having them perform tests of memory and executive functions, the researchers found that, in the study population, having diabetes, high blood pressure or two or more risk factors for heart health at adolescence, early adulthood, or middle life was associated with statistically significant deterioration in cognition in later life. These differences persisted even after controlling for other factors such as age or education.
The study also highlighted the higher risk among African Americans of developing cardiovascular disease compared to other ethnic groups, from adolescence to adulthood. However, according to the researchers, cardiovascular diseases are risk factors which, from adolescence, influence brain health at an advanced age in African-Americans.
Overweight and education as risk factors
Other risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s have been identified. This is the case of a high BMI in young adults, which is associated with a greater risk of dementia at the end of life.
In women, the risk of dementia increases with higher BMI in early adulthood. Compared with women with a normal BMI in early adulthood, the risk of dementia was 1.8 times higher in those who were overweight and 2.5 times higher in those who were obese. The risk of dementia is similar in adult men with obesity (2.5 times higher) and overweight (1.5 times).
Researchers have found that a high BMI in adulthood is a risk factor for dementia in old age. Researchers suggest that efforts to reduce dementia risk should start earlier in life, with a focus on obesity prevention and treatment.
Last data highlighted by the study: that according to which the quality of education at the start of life influences the risk of dementia. By following 2,446 black and white men and women, aged 65 and older, who had attended elementary school in the United States to age 21, the researchers found that better quality early education was associated with better better performance in language and memory, and a lower risk of dementia at the end of life.
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