The common conditions that ‘significantly increase your risk of dementia' – and the most dangerous ages to be diagnosed
It's a question that's baffled scientists for decades.
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Some blame booze or obesity, others say it's in your DNA.
While there's still no single answer, experts agree it's often triggered by a mix of factors - and one new study reveals that when you get ill could matter just as much as what you get.
Getting heart conditions such as heart disease and atrial fibrillation, as well as diabetes, before age 55 could raise your risk of dementia later in life, researchers found.
And developing strokes, anxiety or depression between 55 and 70 may double the danger.
Experts at the University of Oxford said up to 80 per cent of people with dementia also have two or more other long-term illnesses.
But there is still 'a lack of understanding' about how the timing and type of these illnesses affect dementia risk.
They identified "critical time windows" in which certain illnesses pose the greatest risk to patients.
For the study, published in Brain Communications, experts analysed data from 282,712 people in the UK Biobank and looked at patterns for 46 chronic health problems.
Heart issues like atrial fibrillation and diabetes before 55 were most strongly linked to dementia.
But from 55 to 70, conditions such as stroke and mental health disorders posed the biggest danger.
Five simple tests that could indicate dementia
'Although we knew that multimorbidity increased the risk of dementia, it was unclear which combinations of health conditions had the most impact and in what sequence," Sana Suri, associate professor and senior fellow at Oxford Brain Sciences, said.
'This study has identified how specific illnesses tend to co-exist with each other, and also the critical time windows in which they could pose the greatest risk.'
The findings suggest people who get heart disease or diabetes in middle age, followed by mental health issues or stroke later on, are at greatest risk.
Sana said these other illnesses should be taken into account when working out someone's likelihood of developing dementia.
'This study identified associations between multimorbidity and dementia risk but we need to understand more about why this happens," she said
'We also need to try to replicate the study in more diverse groups of people to ensure the results are representative of the population."
She added: 'Future studies could examine whether efforts to manage or prevent cardiovascular problems in early-to-midlife, followed by mental health and neurological disorders when people are in their fifties and sixties, might reduce the risk of dementia.'
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A separate study, published earlier this week, suggested two common infections may also play a role in the development of dementia.
Researchers from Pennsylvania found both chlamydia pneumoniae and SARS-CoV-2 increase the levels of substances in the brain called cytokines.
These trigger inflammation, which can "harm brain cells and may help speed up the buildup of harmful proteins linked to Alzheimer's", the most common form of dementia.
Chlamydia pneumoniae is a "very common" type of bacteria that causes lung infections, including pneumonia.
It is not the same as the STI chlamydia, though both are highly infectious.
SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes Covid-19.
There are things you can do to reduce your own risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's.
No single behaviour is guaranteed to prevent dementia - but there's lots of evidence to suggest that making tweaks to your lifestyle choices could affect your risk.
Dementia risk is lowest in people who have healthy behaviours in mid-life - from the age of 40 to 65 - according to the Alzheimer's Society.
Here are a few easy changes you can make:
Exercise regularly to boost your heart health and circulation and help maintain a healthy weight.
Drink less alcohol - try to have no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, about one pint of beer or a small glass of wine each day. If you regularly drink much more than this, you are increasing your risk of damage to your brain and other organs, and so increasing your risk of dementia.
Don't smoke - it does a lot of harm to the circulation of blood around the body, particularly the blood vessels in the brain, as well as the heart and lungs.
Engaging in social activities to help to build up your brain's ability to relieve stress and improve your mood - depression and social isolation have both been linked to dementia.
Manage health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, which can increase the risk of getting dementia.
Protect your eyesight and hearing - vision loss increases a person's risk of developing dementia. The same goes for hearing loss, which can also be an early symptom of dementia.
Wear a helmet - as traumatic brain injuries can start a process in the brain where the substances that cause Alzheimer's disease build up around the injured area.
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