While we’ve made progress in understanding and diagnosing dementia—like achieving 90% accuracy with Alzheimer’s blood tests—recent research has revealed two new risk factors for dementia. Here’s what you need to know.
The Latest Discoveries: High Cholesterol and Untreated Vision Loss
According to a report in The Lancet, high cholesterol after 40 and untreated vision loss are now recognized as modifiable risk factors for dementia. This builds on previous research which identified 12 lifestyle-related risk factors, including:
- Physical inactivity
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Air pollution
- Head injury
- Infrequent social contact
- Less education
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Hearing impairment
Together, these factors contribute to nearly 50% of global dementia cases. Continue reading New Dementia Risks Uncovered: How High Cholesterol and Vision Loss Could Affect Your Brain Health