New dementia study lists nine risk factors to tackle to help you keep your head
Paris — One third of dementia cases can be prevented with some basic lifestyle changes and better education during childhood, a study published in The Lancet said on Thursday. Nearly 50-million people around the world suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s according to the latest estimates. This figure could balloon to 132-million by 2050. The nine factors which damage the brain notably include hearing loss, obesity and smoking, the study found. "Our results suggest that about 35% of dementia is attributable to a combination of the following nine risk factors: education to [only] 11 or 12; midlife hypertension; midlife obesity; hearing loss; late-life depression; diabetes; physical inactivity; smoking; and social isolation," the study said. The researchers said maintaining good hearing between the ages of 45 and 65 reduces the number of cases by 9%. Stopping smoking could reduce the number of cases by 5%. Other factors contributing to the risk include depression (4%), physical inactiv...
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