16 September 2023 , 18:36
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Having poor metabolic health could increase your risk of developing dementia later in life, a study has found.
Researchers looked at health issues including high blood pressure and high blood glucose and, after analysing data from more than 176,000 participants, they found there is a link between metabolic syndrome and the risk of developing dementia. Scientists from Oxford Population Health explained that poor metabolic health is described as having three or more of the following conditions: high waist circumference, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high blood glucose, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
The study, published this month in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, looked at these conditions, commonly known as "metabolic syndrome", which affects around 20 to 25% of adults globally. Previous studies found links between metabolic syndrome and an increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
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Metabolic syndrome conditions can increase the risk of developing dementia, researchers found (Stock photo) (Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)Scientists looked at data from the UK Biobank study, which tracked the health of 176,249 participants over a span of 15 years. At the start of the study, all patients were aged 60 or over and did not have dementia.
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When the study began, 42% of participants had metabolic syndrome, with 96% experiencing high blood pressure, 74% having high triglycerides, 72% with low HDL-cholesterol, 70% with high waist circumference and 50% with high blood glucose. As the research progressed, 5,255 people who took part in the study went on to develop dementia over a 15-year period.
Scientists found that participants with metabolic syndrome had a 12% increased risk of developing dementia compared with participants who did not have metabolic syndrome. They also discovered that having multiple metabolic syndrome conditions increased the risk of developing dementia even further - but it depends on the number of conditions experienced by the patients.
The study reads: "Our findings show that risk is only significantly elevated among those with four or five MetS components." Scientists added: "In our study, we found that only some MetS combinations were associated with dementia risk. Notably, the combination of reduced HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and elevated triglycerides was associated with a significantly reduced risk of dementia. Taken together, these results suggest that dementia risk may vary substantially according to which MetS components are present, further highlighting the importance of investigating the contribution of different MetS combinations in future studies."
Danial Qureshi, lead author and PhD candidate at Oxford Population Health, said: "Our study findings suggest that early identification and management of metabolic syndrome could potentially reduce risk of developing dementia later in life. Metabolic syndrome is an especially promising target for prevention since each of its individual components is modifiable through lifestyle changes or pharmacological treatments. Learning more about this link is crucial, especially given the rapid increase in dementia cases worldwide and the limited number of effective treatments currently available."
Dr Thomas Littlejohns, senior author and Senior Epidemiologist at Oxford Population Health, said: "There is growing evidence that better prevention, management and treatment of certain health conditions could reduce future risk of dementia. These findings suggest that it is also important to consider the role of multiple conditions, especially as we observed the greatest risk in those with all five components of metabolic syndrome."
Dementia is a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 5.8million people in the United States live with the condition.
By 2060, the number of Alzheimer's disease cases is predicted to rise to an estimated 14 million people, with minority populations being affected the most. Some cholinesterase inhibitors including galantamine, rivastigmine, and donepezil are prescribed for mild to moderate Alzheimer's symptoms. These drugs may help reduce or control some cognitive and behavioural symptoms.