Dementia Risk Factors Differ Across 14 Countries and Regions

A study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity reports that the prevalence of 12 modifiable dementia risk factors differs substantially across 14 countries and regions. Data came from long-running aging studies compiled by the Gateway to Global Aging Data team. The analysis covered England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, four European regions, Korea, Mexico, China, Malaysia, Brazil and India.

Low education affected 85.6 percent of older adults in China but 12 percent in the U.S. High BMI affected 44.9 percent of Americans but 13.3 percent of people in India. Cardiovascular risks such as high cholesterol and hypertension tended to appear together in multiple countries, as did behavioral risks like smoking and drinking.

Lead author Emma Nichols, a research scientist at the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service's Center for Economic and Social Research, said the consistency of risk-factor groupings was the most unexpected result. Researchers said the findings could help governments and health organizations design prevention programs tailored to local populations rather than importing strategies developed elsewhere.

John La Puma, physician and author of Indoor Epidemic, told Newsweek that daylight exposure, which was not measured in the study, has been shown to reduce dementia risk 16 to 17 percent with the right dose.