Research from Sweden’s Lund University suggests nearly half of dementia cases might be linked to modifiable risk factors. It emphasizes how lifestyle habits and chronic health conditions can harm the brain over time. Health risks such as smoking, high blood pressure, heart disease, and elevated blood lipids are notably associated with brain damage found in vascular dementia.
The study indicates that managing these factors may help delay brain deterioration in individuals without initial cognitive decline. This research tracked around 500 participants, with an average age of 65, over four years. None had cognitive impairment at the start.
Study Findings
Dementia includes various disorders with differing causes, making the risk factors variable based on diagnosis. The study aimed to understand risk effects on Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Researchers observed changes in the brain’s white matter and measured amyloid beta and tau proteins, related to Alzheimer’s.
Most modifiable risks were linked to blood vessel damage and white matter changes. There were also potential connections between specific risks and Alzheimer’s proteins: diabetes was linked to more amyloid beta, and lower body mass index with quicker tau accumulation. These findings need further validation, but addressing lifestyle risks might reduce brain damage types simultaneously.
Sebastian Palmqvist, from Lund University, noted prior studies lacked insights into how individual risk factors impact brain disease mechanisms. He stated that focusing on vascular and metabolic risks can help reduce the effects of brain changes happening at once.
Practical Implications
While age, gender, and genetics are primary dementia risk factors, this study adds to evidence showing lifestyle choices impact brain health. Joanna LaFleur, a dementia care expert, emphasized that lifestyle changes can impact brain health. She noted that although we can’t change age or genetics, we can influence many factors affecting the brain.
According to LaFleur, this research highlights the link between heart and brain health. High blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease affect both heart and brain vessels.
Researchers suggest focusing on vascular and metabolic health as a preventive strategy to curb multiple forms of brain damage before clinical dementia develops.
Actionable Steps for Brain Health
- Manage Blood Pressure and Cholesterol: Maintain healthy cardiovascular metrics as heart health links directly to brain vessel health.
- Quit Smoking: Avoid tobacco to protect brain blood vessels from damage.
- Prioritize Physical Activity: Regular exercise counters risks causing vascular brain changes.
- Monitor Metabolic Health: Control blood sugar and sustain a healthy lifestyle to reduce risks related to diabetes.
- Address Hearing Loss and Other Lifestyle Factors: Managing hearing loss and moderating alcohol intake supports cognitive wellness.
Palmqvist, S., et al. (2026). Associations of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors with longitudinal white matter hyperintensities, amyloid-β and tau – a prospective cohort study. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.
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