Dementia More Preventable in Asia and Latin America

A new University College London (UCL) study published in The Lancet Global Health suggests nearly half of dementia cases could be preventable in low- to middle-income countries, reports Medical Xpress . "We have now found that in . . . countries in Asia and Latin America, dementia may be even more preventable than it is in more wealthy countries," said UCL's Naaheed Mukadam. "If life-course risk factors such as low levels of education in early life and hearing loss, obesity, and low physical activity in mid-life to old age are addressed, these countries could see large improvements in their dementia rates." The team analyzed data from China, India, and across Latin America, measuring prevalence of nine dementia risk factors in those countries, with sample sizes of 1,000 to 3,000 in each nation. Results indicated there is even more potential for preventing dementia worldwide, as the proportion of dementia linked to the nine modifiable risk factors was 40 percent in China, 41 percent in India, and 56 percent in Latin America. A key differentiating variable is lower levels of educational attainment in low- to middle-income countries. "People growing up in Asia and Latin America today are more likely to have completed schooling than their parents and grandparents were, meaning they should be less at risk of dementia later in life than people who are already over 65," Mukadam noted. "Continuing to improve access to education could reap great benefits for dementia rates in years to come."