Scientists Identify the Three Main Risk Factors for Brain Aging
NewsweekMar 23
High Cholesterol, Vision Loss Identified as Dementia Risk Factors
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The Facts
The 2024 update of the medical journal Lancet's standing commission on dementia has found "compelling evidence" for adding vision loss and high LDL cholesterol to a list of identified risk factors that increase the odds of developing the disease.
The 2020 edition of the review initially found 12 factors linked with the disease: alcohol abuse, hearing loss, smoking, obesity, polluted air, social isolation, high blood pressure, traumatic brain injuries, diabetes, depression, and a lack of physical activity and education.
The Spin
Narrative A
Dementia is a tragic condition that is becoming more prevalent as life expectancy rises. Fortunately, nearly half of all cases could be prevented with lifestyle interventions, such as promoting physical fitness and fighting loneliness. It is time to think of this condition as an environmental disease, not a predestined one, and endorse structural change to save lives from the grips of this disease.
Narrative B
While this is promising news for prevention, it does little to stem the rise in new cases and the conditions patients face. The conditions in care homes are often appalling, as the infirm are shuffled into homes where they run an increased risk of an untimely death. There needs to be investment and regulation to ensure that those who are already suffering from the disease are taken care of.