Dementia affects over 60 million people worldwide, with an estimated annual cost of $1.3 trillion to healthcare systems. Despite decades of research and billions invested, there is no cure for dementia. However, prevention is often touted as a better approach. Can preventing dementia be possible? What age should individuals start taking steps to prevent it?
Dementia is not solely the result of aging or genetics. Research suggests that up to 45% of cases may be prevented by reducing exposure to modifiable risk factors common worldwide. Many health experts recommend targeting middle-aged adults, but this approach has limitations.
Targeting younger ages may provide greater benefits. Lifestyle-related dementia risk factors often emerge during adolescence and persist into adulthood. For example, 80% of adolescents with obesity will remain obese as adults. This means that altering established habits in middle age can be challenging. The most effective actions are likely to focus on preventing unhealthy behavior from the start.
Increasing evidence suggests that risk factor exposures in childhood or even infancy may have lifelong implications for dementia risk. Brain development and structure changes may exist since childhood, influencing cognitive ability and increasing dementia risk later in life. A lifelong prevention plan is necessary, with a coordinated approach involving healthier environments, education, and public policy.
While it’s never too late to take steps to reduce dementia risk, it’s also never too early. Individual-level actions, community efforts, and national policies can improve brain health from an early age. Experts recommend a coordinated approach, combining these elements to achieve meaningful reductions in dementia risk for as many people as possible.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/the-roots-of-dementia-trace-back-all-the-way-to-childhood-experts-say