Study identifies main risk factors for dementia in Brazil

A study carried out by the University of São Paulo (USP) launched new perspectives on the insanity in Brazil, identifying 12 risk factors that influence the development of this disease.

The research used data from the Longitudinal Study of Aging in Brazil (ELSI-Brazil), with the participation of 9,412 people from different regions, with an average age of 63 years.

Factors that increase the risk of dementia

Among the factors identified, low education was identified as the main contributor, related to 7.7% of dementia cases.

Furthermore, hypertension and hearing loss appear as significant factors, corresponding to 7.6% and 6.8% of cases, respectively.

Together, these three factors make up 22% of dementia cases in Brazil, highlighting the need for urgent preventive actions.

Dr. Claudia Kimie Suemoto, geriatrician and research leader, highlighted the importance of public policies focused on prevention, especially on modifiable factors.

She stressed that prevention must start early, covering risks from childhood to adulthood.

Image: Merve ÇAKIR/Pexels

The study also revealed that almost half of dementia cases (48.2%) could be prevented or delayed if these conditions were properly controlled or monitored.

In addition to the three main factors, other conditions include obesity, diabetes, excessive consumption of alcoholtraumatic brain injuries, physical inactivity, depression, smoking, social isolation and exposure to air pollution.

Researchers at the University of Oxford carried out a significant study, published in BMJ Mental Health, which analyzed 28 risk factors for dementia and their relationship with the incidence of new cases of the disease.

11 factors were found to be most significantly associated with a higher risk for dementia, of which 8 are modifiable.

These include education, history of diabetes, depression, history of stroke, lower socioeconomic class, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and living alone.

The analysis also showed that the order of the main factors of risk varies between different racial groups, indicating the need for preventive approaches that consider the particularities of each group.