Cardiovascular health may be the biggest risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease in the future

According to a new study by researchers at University College London (UCL), dementia risk factors associated with cardiovascular health may increase over time, more so than factors such as smoking and lower education. The study, published in The Lancet · Public Health, explores changes in dementia risk factors over time and their impact on future dementia incidence.

The overall prevalence of dementia in people aged 60 years and older in China is estimated to be 5.3%. There are about 10 million to 11 million people over the age of 60 with dementia, and 60% of them have Alzheimer's disease. The prevalence of dementia over 65 years old was 4.40% and 6.05% in urban and rural areas, and the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in urban and rural areas was 2.44% and 4.25%, respectively. The low level of education in rural areas is one of the possible reasons.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in modifiable risk factors, the elimination of which could theoretically prevent about 40% of dementia cases.

In the new study, the researchers analysed 27 pieces of literature covering data from people with dementia around the world, with data collected from 1947 to 2015. They extracted data on dementia risk factors from each article and calculated the proportion of each factor that changes over time to contribute to dementia cases.

Dementia is often the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, education level, and smoking. The research team found that low educational attainment and smoking have become less prevalent over the past few decades, which is associated with a decline in the incidence of dementia. At the same time, the rates of obesity and diabetes and their contribution to the risk of dementia have increased. Although there has also been an increase in measures to actively manage hypertension, hypertension remained the dominant risk factor for dementia in most studies. Cardiovascular risk factors may contribute more to dementia risk over time, so these factors deserve more targeted action to prevent future dementia.

How can middle-aged and elderly people detect cardiovascular diseases early?

Regular medical check-ups

1. Blood pressure measurement: High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Checking your blood pressure regularly can help detect high blood pressure in time.
2. Blood lipid profile: including total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglycerides.
3. Blood glucose test: Diabetes is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. Fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) tests can help assess diabetes risk.
4. Electrocardiogram (ECG): Used to check whether the heart's electrical activity is normal, it can help identify potential heart problems.
5. Echocardiography: An ultrasound technique to examine the structure and function of the heart.

Pay attention to your body signals

1. Chest pain or discomfort: Angina pectoris is a condition caused by insufficient blood supply to the coronary arteries, manifested by a feeling of pressure, pain, or other discomfort in the chest.
2. Difficulty breathing: Shortness of breath, especially after activity, can be a sign of impaired heart function.
3. Unusual fatigue: Women, in particular, may feel unusually tired before a heart attack.
4. Other symptoms: including nausea, sweating, dizziness or syncope, etc.

Healthy lifestyle

1. Healthy diet: Low-salt, low-fat, fiber-rich foods can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
2. Regular exercise: At least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling.
3. Quit smoking and limit alcohol: Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
4. Control your weight: Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the strain on your heart.
5. Stress reduction: Long-term stress can have a negative impact on the cardiovascular system.

Use a smart device

Nowadays, there are many smartwatches and health trackers that can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen saturation and other indicators, which can help detect abnormalities in time. If there is a family history of cardiovascular disease, especially if an immediate family member (parent, sibling) develops cardiovascular disease at a younger age, the doctor should be informed and monitored more frequently.

Bibliographic References –

Naaheed Mukadam, Frank J Wolters, Sebastian Walsh, Lindsay Wallace, Carol Brayne, Fiona E Matthews, Simona Sacuiu, Ingmar Skoog, Sudha Seshadri, Alexa Beiser, Saptaparni Ghosh, Gill Livingston. Changes in prevalence and incidence of dementia and risk factors for dementia: an analysis from cohort studies. The Lancet Public Health, 2024; 9 (7): e443 DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00120-8

Longfei Jia,, et al., (2019). Dementia in China: epidemiology, clinical management, and research advances. The Lancet Neurology, 10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30290-X