From social isolation to hearing impairment: Study reveals 15 factors linked to early dementia

Some 55 million people suffer from dementia around the globe. The majority suffer from Alzheimer's, accounting for 33 to 38.5 million people. Of these, 10% begin to develop symptoms, such as memory loss, before the age of 65. It is not a disease exclusive to the elderly, as doctor and academic Andrew E. Budson says: "Alzheimer's is, in fact, the most common cause of young onset dementia."

It is still, however, "uncommon" among young people. According to Johns Hopkins University, early-onset Alzheimer's occurs primarily in people between 40 and 60 years old. For now, "Experts don't know what triggers the start of Alzheimer's disease." The same can be said about dementia in general. In both cases the most accepted risk factor is genetic.

Until now. A study by researchers from Maastricht University (UM) in the Netherlands and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom studied the risk factors associated with early-onset dementia. Several of these factors, such as social isolation, are modifiable, so the authors of Risk Factors for Young-Onset Dementia in the UK Biobank) highlight:

Of a total of 39 possible risk factors, researchers detected 15 significantly linked to the early development of progressive deterioration of mental abilities. Two of these factors include worse levels of formal education and socioeconomic levels. Also, there is a link among those who suffer from social isolation.

Added to these factors are vitamin D deficiency, having high levels of C-reactive protein, lower hand grip strength, hearing impairment, orthostatic hypotension, having suffered a stroke, diabetes, heart disease and depression.

Another factor that surprised experts is alcohol consumption. Not drinking increases the risk of suffering from early-onset dementia. "We are unsure why this is — one of our theories is that this may be due to the ‘healthy drinker effect,’" one of the researchers, Stevie Hendriks, told Fox News. That is to say: young people do not drink alcohol because they suffer from other diseases that prevent them from doing so, so they may be less healthy than those who do drink alcoholic beverages.

The researchers acknowledge that the study, which involved 356,052 people, is insufficient. They believe that similar studies must be carried out to reveal the causes of the early development of dementia. These risk factors indicate a correlation or relationship but not necessarily the cause.