Researchers identify 17 risk factors behind age-related brain disorders

Study finds that even modifying one factor can reduce the risk of stroke, dementia, and late-life depression.


Seventeen modifiable factors have been found that can decrease the risk of age-related brain diseases, including stroke, dementia, and late-life depression, as per researchers at Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham.


The research demonstrated that changing one of these variables lowered the risk of all three conditions mentioned above. The findings have been made available in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.


Identifying the risk factors



To reveal these risk factors, scientists systematically reviewed the scientific literature and examined earlier meta-analyses of risk factors for stroke, dementia, and late-life depression. Then, they cross-matched this information to find modifiable factors common among at least two diseases. They also determined the relative contribution of each factor to quality of life and early death.


The study finally identified 17 shared modifiable risk factors:


1. Diabetes – raises the risk of stroke, dementia, and depression.
2. High blood pressure – a primary risk factor for all three diseases.
3. Kidney disease – may raise the risk of developing stroke, dementia, and depression.
4. Fasting plasma glucose – elevated blood glucose levels are responsible for these brain disorders.
5. High cholesterol – linked to increased risk of stroke and dementia.
6. Excessive alcohol consumption – associated with increased risks of stroke, dementia, and depression.
7. Poor diet – one of the primary causes of all three conditions.
8. Hearing loss is recognized as a modifiable risk factor for dementia.
9. Chronic pain – may increase the risk of depression and potentially other conditions.
10. Lack of physical activity – a major risk factor for stroke, dementia, and depression.
11. Lack of purpose in life – linked with a higher risk of depression and potentially other conditions.
12. Poor quality sleep – can increase the risk of depression and other illnesses.
13. Smoking – a key risk factor for stroke, dementia, and depression.
14. Social isolation or loneliness – associated with increased risk of depression and other disorders.
15. Chronic stress – may increase the risk of depression and other psychiatric conditions.
16. Untreated depression increases the risk of developing other age-related brain disorders.
17. Obesity – a contributing factor to enhancing the risk of stroke, dementia, and depression.





Implications of the study


The study points out how interrelated these brain diseases are, indicating that if an individual develops one condition, they are more likely to develop another condition in the future.


Dementia, stroke, and late-life depression are interrelated and linked, so if you get one of them, there's a high likelihood that you'll get another one in the future," said first author Jasper Senff, a postdoctoral researcher at the Singh Lab at the Brain Care Labs at Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "And because they share these overlapping risk factors, preventive efforts could lead to a reduction in the incidence of more than one of these diseases, which provides an opportunity to simultaneously reduce the burden of age-related brain diseases.”

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“Healthcare is increasingly complex. But these findings remind us that preventing disease can be very simple. Why? Because many of the most common diseases share the same risk factors,” said Jonathan Rosand, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, founder of the Global Brain Care Coalition, and the JP Kistler Endowed Chair in Neurology at MGH.


By resolving these risk factors through preventive methods and lifestyle modification, people can substantially lower their risk of acquiring age-related brain disorders, which ultimately contributes to healthier aging.