Today, nearly 57 million people worldwide are living with dementia. Even more concerning, this already alarming figure is projected to triple over the next few decades. New study investigates the impact of various health domains on the risk of developing this debilitating condition. It looks at the contribution of lifestyle behaviors to that risk. Studies from across the world—from Spain, South Korea, Wales, England, and the United States—have identified a few main predictors. These four factors might greatly reduce one’s risk of acquiring dementia.
One of the most important takeaways from this research is how sleep affects brain health. Chelsie Rohrscheib, PhD, a sleep expert and neuroscientist at Wesper, recently explained in a blog post how sleep is critical for cognitive functioning. She underscores that sleep plays a multitude of important biological functions. It’s especially important for cell and tissue repair, brain health, learning and memory consolidation, cognitive health and clearing waste out of the brain. The majority of these functions take place during the non-REM stage 3 slow wave sleep consolidated with REM sleep. All of these processes are important in serving as protective measures for brain health and lowering risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Moreover, the study provides the first definite evidence of a direct link between cardiovascular health and the risk of developing dementia. Once they received a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AFib)—a heart rhythm disorder characterized by irregular heartbeat—participants experienced more than two times greater risk of developing dementia. Individuals younger than 70 years of age with AFib have a 21% higher risk. At the same time, those diagnosed at younger than 65 years old face a 36% increase in risk. Paul Drury, MD, is a board-certified cardiologist and associate medical director of electrophysiology at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Calif. He considers these results to be strong and encouraging and highlights the need for additional research into possible underlying comorbidities and therapies.
Keeping cholesterol levels low is an important part of lowering the risk of dementia. It’s equal to sleeping well and protecting your cardiovascular health. However, recent studies have indicated a potential threshold effect of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Boosting LDL-C lower than a threshold appears to not deliver additional negative cognitive effects. Emer MacSweeney, MD, highlights this observation: “This is an interesting observation indicating a potential threshold effect, where reducing LDL-C beyond a certain point does not further improve cognitive outcomes. Prior research has shown that greater levels of LDL-C are detrimental. Being below that level doesn’t mean one has the extra protection.
More recently, vaccination against shingles has been found to be a possible preventative step against dementia as well. The finding suggests that the Shingrix vaccine, a currently used recombinant zoster vaccine, could be beneficial in mitigating dementia risk. The precise mechanisms by which vaccination may improve cognitive health remain unknown. This pilot finding introduces a key factor to the ongoing conversation on how to prevent dementia.
As researchers continue to investigate the multifaceted nature of dementia risk, the interplay between sleep patterns, cardiovascular health, cholesterol levels, and vaccination provides valuable insights. The goal is to develop more effective strategies for preventing dementia and improving quality of life for millions affected by this condition.
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