Largest Young-Onset Dementia Study in the World Shows Hope for Prevention

A study done in the UK Biobank has revealed the dementia risk in young people if they have depression and Vitamin D deficiency.

This is significant as NHS data predicts over one million people in the UK are likely to suffer from dementia by 2030. At present, one in 11 people over the age of 65 have a neurodegenerative disease. Over 944,000 people have dementia in the UK.

According to an estimate made by the Alzheimer's Society of UK, 70,800 people have young-onset dementia where the disease kicks in before 60-65 years of age.

In such a scenario, this study titled 'Risk Factors for Young-Onset Dementia in the UK Biobank' is crucial as it sheds light on essential biomarkers like diabetes, depression and Vitamin D deficiency to prevent young-onset dementia.

UK researchers identified 39 risk factors that cause young-onset dementia as opposed to the conventional belief that the disease is genetic. The scientists analysed 356,052 people below the age of 65 from 2006 to 2010 to identify these dementia risk factors.

To understand the gender bias in young-onset dementia, the UK researchers selected 55.3 per cent women, which accounts for 197,036 women with 54.6 baseline age. The rest of the participants were men.

The result of the study revealed 16 factors that significantly increased dementia risk including lower education level, lower socio-economic status, alcohol disorder, social isolation, hearing impairment, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, vitamin D deficiency and depression. The results were published in the Jama Neurology journal.

Scientists trying to understand the cause of young-onset dementia

According to UK researchers, the results are optimistic as they challenge the genetic notion of the disease into one that can be prevented by modifying the risk factors. Targeting these modifiable risk factors could reduce the extent of the young-onset dementia in the UK, said the scientists.

Dr Janice Ranson, one of the authors of the UK Biobank study said: "The study breaks new ground and could herald a new era for interventions to reduce new cases."

The primary symptom in people suffering from dementia is the loss of memory but there are other problems like behaviour change and failure to recognise known places.

So far this is the largest and the most robust young-onset dementia study conducted revealed Professor David Llewellyn, one of the authors of this UK and Netherlands-conducted study.

Llewellyn cautioned that there is still much to know before we can develop a plan of action. However, according to him, the study showed that "we may be able to take action to reduce the risk of this debilitating condition".

"This pioneering study shines important and much-needed light on factors that can influence the risk of young-onset dementia," said Llewellyn.

This comes at a time when a recent study highlighted the burden of dementia patients on the NHS and the UK healthcare system as people with dementia visit the emergency room 1.4 million times annually.

Another author of the study, Dr Stevie Hendriks from the Maastricht University in the Netherlands highlighted the extent of the problem faced by young-onset dementia patients as most of them are "still working and have children and a busy life".

Hendriks explained why they wanted to study this aspect of the disease as the exact cause isn't known and everybody assumes it's genetic. "This is why we also wanted to investigate other risk factors in this study," he added.

The researchers are hopeful about the awareness aspect of young-onset dementia as the study found people with higher educational levels are less prone to it, suggesting a better awareness of the disease risks.

Dr Lean Mursaleen from Alzheimer's Research UK said the study filled an important gap in dementia knowledge.

"We're witnessing a transformation in the understanding of dementia risk and, potentially, how to reduce it on both an individual and societal level," said Mursaleen.