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In other words, what you do and how you live protects you from losing cognitive function at any age.
This study from the UK Bio Bank’s data defined young-onset dementia (YOD) as a diagnosis before the age of 65, but many people experience degrees of cognitive decline at younger and younger ages. This report (1) from China even confirms a 19-year-old man, with no causative Alzheimer’s genes being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s!
Thankfully there is lots you can do to reduce your risk and prevent the loss of your mind and memories.
This UK BioBank study (2) identified 485 people out of 356,000 who developed dementia before the age of 65. The estimate is that 70,000 people in the UK suffer from young-onset dementia. It identified 15 risk factors, many of which we already address within our 8 domains
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Particularly predictive were a person’s vitamin D level, diabetes and depression. (The 15 identified risk factors were lower formal education, lower socioeconomic status, carrying 2 apolipoprotein ε4 allele, no alcohol use, alcohol use disorder, social isolation, vitamin D deficiency, high C-reactive protein levels, lower handgrip strength, hearing impairment, orthostatic hypotension, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and depression.)
Vitamin D is vital to supplement in the winter. Those who do have a 40% lower incidence of dementia according to a recent study. A study in France those with low vitamin D levels, below 50 nmol/L, had a nearly three-fold increased risk of Alzheimer’s. Over sixty per cent of people in the UK have lower levels than this. This is why we are now offering vitamin D testing to everyone who has taken the Cognitive Function Test.
Diabetes, and pre-diabetes, is best identified from a blood test for HbA1c which determines glucose control. Levels above 6.5% indicate diabetes while adolescents with levels above 5.4% have been shown to have a degree of cognitive impairment. In young adults having the early signs of poor glucose control is a future predictor of dementia.
The incidence of depression goes up substantially in those with low vitamin D, poor glucose control as well as a lack of omega-3 (now included in the tests we offer.) It may also reflect lack of stimulation for example from loneliness, unemployment, lack of mental stimulation through education and lack of opportunity.
Diet wasn’t sufficiently investigated, nor homocysteine, because the UK Biobank questionnaire doesn’t ask sufficient questions to go close up, nor is homocysteine part of the blood test data. That is why Food for the Brain’s growing data bank – the result of people like you taking the time to do the test – is going to prove so invaluable. (This is one of the reasons we have launched our highly accurate, affordable, at-home Homocysteine test kits which will be back in stock later this week.
Prof Llewellyn, one of the study authors, said the study “reveals that we may be able to take action to reduce risk of this debilitating condition”.
Even with this data gap, this study shows that a lot of the risk factors for early-onset dementia are preventable. At the end of January, we are launching the DRIfT (Dementia Risk Index Functional Test) home test, measuring both vitamin D, omega-3, HBA1c and homocysteine with a home test kit.
When you address these factors, which is what our Cognitive Function Test and follow-up COGNITION program is designed to do, you can mitigate your risk of dementia.
While we have had over 400,000 do the test and see many people’s dementia risk index decrease and Cognitive Function Score increase, this research confirms our work and mission.
As our founder and CEO Patrick Holford says:
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Take the Cognitive Function Test today, learn your current brain health status and take our easy at-home blood tests (like vitamin D) so that you know exactly how to reduce your risk and prevent dementia at any age.
Thank you for reading!
Food for the Brain is a non-for-profit educational and research charity that offers a free Cognitive Function Test and assesses your Dementia Risk Index to be able to advise you on how to dementia-proof your diet and lifestyle.
By completing the Cognitive Function Test you are joining our grassroots research initiative to find out what really works for preventing cognitive decline. We share our ongoing research results with you to help you make brain-friendly choices.
Please support our research by becoming a Friend of Food for the Brain.
1 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36565128/
2 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38147328/
