"Forty-four million people are estimated to have Alzheimer's disease, and there is currently no way to halt or reverse its ravages on the brain. But a third of those cases could have been prevented by lifestyle changes, says neuroscientist Carol Brayne at the University of Cambridge.
Alzheimer's is caused by a combination of genetics and lifestyle factors. To work out the effect of potentially modifiable influences, Brayen's team reanalyzed previous studies. These covered seven factors known to be associated with Alzheimer's: diabetes, depression, physical inactivity, smoking, low educational attainment, obesity and high blood pressure in middle age.
Diabetes, depression, physical inactivity, smoking, low educational attainment, obesity and high blood pressure in middle age.
They then factored in associations between some of the factors. For example, increasing physical activity can also lower blood pressure.
One in three cases of Alzheimer's can be attributed to modifiable factors, estimate the researchers. By reducing the relative risk from each of these factors by 10 per cent every decade, it would be possible to reduce the 2050 prevalence of Alzheimer's by 8.3 per cent, and prevent 9.6 million cases."
~ NewScientist, July 10-25, 2014 Andy Coghlan
