"Even if vision declines and cholesterol levels are high, the risk of dementia decreases"

There is nothing more frightening than dementia...

Even if your eyesight worsens and your cholesterol levels are high, the risk of dementia also skyrockets.. ㅠ_ㅠ

This health check-up result..

My eyesight has slightly worsened, and my cholesterol levels are still high...

Oh~~

I need to take care of it... 😢

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The Lancet Dementia Commission expands to 14 risk factors for dementia... "Account for approximately 45% of all dementia causes"

The risk factors that can lead to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia have increased to fourteen. Two new factors have been added: vision loss and high LDL cholesterol levels. [Photo = Getty Images Bank]

The global medical journal The Lancet's Lancet Commission on Dementia recently announced that it will add two new factors, visual impairment and hypercholesterolemia, to the previous list of 12 risk factors for dementia.

The Lancet Dementia Commission announced 12 risk factors for dementia four years ago, including low educational level, lack of physical activity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, hearing loss, traumatic brain injury, depression, social isolation, and air pollution. These 12 factors are estimated to account for up to 40% of dementia cases worldwide.

The Lancet Dementia Committee's decision to expand the number of dementia risk factors to 14 is based on a recent study by the University College London (UCL) research team. The study is titled "Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission." The research team stated that they have obtained sufficient new evidence to definitively include two additional factors: vision loss and high LDL cholesterol levels.

Professor Gill Livingston, the principal investigator of the study and a specialist in geriatric psychiatry, stated, "The 14 risk factors for dementia are estimated to account for up to 45% of the overall incidence." He added, "Therefore, eliminating these risk factors could potentially reduce about half of dementia cases."

The number of dementia patients worldwide is estimated to be 57 million (as of 2019), and it is projected to increase to 153 million by 2050. The research team stated, "However, recent studies show that maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding smoking and excessive drinking can significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia." In particular, they emphasized, "Attention should be paid to two newly identified risk factors. Managing LDL cholesterol levels well from middle age and working on prevention and treatment to prevent sudden vision loss are crucial."

Air pollution has not been well known as a risk factor for dementia. However, with the spread of wildfires in the western United States and Canada this summer, it has become an urgent issue. According to a study published last year, approximately 188,000 people in the United States are estimated to develop dementia each year due to air pollution. At the recent Alzheimer's Association Annual Meeting held in Philadelphia, a study was presented indicating that exposure to wildfire smoke could significantly increase the risk of being diagnosed with dementia.