Hypertension is now the top dementia risk factor. That compares to past years when smoking or less education were the leading risk factors, a new study finds.
The findings were published Wednesday in The Lancet Public Health, which explored how the prevalence of dementia risk factors have changed over time and how this could affect rates of dementia in the future. The team looked at 27 studies about people with dementia around the world, with data spanning 1947 to 2020. Investigators pulled out data about dementia risk factors and then calculated how many dementia cases were linked to each one.
Over time, having less education and smoking were less common and were associated with a decline in rates of dementia. Rates of obesity and diabetes have gone up over time, as has their contribution to the risk for dementia. Per the latest data, hypertension was the greatest risk factor, though proactively managing the condition has improved over time as well.
“Cardiovascular risk factors may have contributed more to dementia risk over time, so these deserve more targeted action for future dementia prevention efforts,” Naaheed Mukadam, a professor at University College London, said in a statement. “Our results show that levels of education have increased over time in many higher income countries, meaning that this has become a less important dementia risk factor. Meanwhile, smoking levels have also declined in Europe and the USA as it has become less socially acceptable and more expensive.”
“These patterns suggest that population-level interventions could significantly impact the occurrence of dementia risk factors, and governments should consider implementing schemes such as worldwide policies of education, and restrictions on smoking,” Mukadam added.
