Type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure (BP) and habits like smoking can lead to the onset of dementia about 10 years earlier in men than in women. This research has been published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Due to these health problems, the risk of dementia is higher in men aged between 50 to 70 years, while in women this condition is seen between 60 to 70 years. The researchers also suggested that the problem could also affect men who do not have the high-risk APOE4 gene.
research findings
U.K. Researchers at Imperial College London conducted a long-term study involving 34,425 participants. These participants underwent both abdominal and brain scans, and their average age was 63 years. The study showed that increased levels of abdominal fat and visceral adipose tissue reduced the amount of gray matter in the brain in both men and women. It particularly affects important areas of the brain such as auditory information, visual perception, emotional processing, and memory.
Effects on heart and brain
The harmful effects of blood pressure and obesity on the brain are clearly visible, especially in people who do not have a high-risk APOE4 gene, the researchers said. This suggests that cardiovascular risk may affect the brain’s ability to think, increasing the risk of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Prevention of Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases
Research also suggests that it is very important to pay attention to and treat cardiovascular risk factors before the age of 55. This can not only reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, but also prevent other cardiovascular problems like heart attack and stroke. The researchers stressed that necessary steps should be taken to reduce obesity and cardiovascular risk factors, so that brain and heart health can be improved in later years of life.
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