Alzheimer’s Disease: Multifactorial and Modifiable

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD; or a related dementia) afflicts an estimated 44 million people worldwide. A leading cause of disabilities and with no cure at-present, early detection and prevention are key public health strategies. Researchers from the University of California/San Francisco (UCSF; California, USA)  completed a meta-analysis of 323 published studies studying 93 different potential risk factors and involving over 5,000 subjects in total.  Data analysis revealed certain protective factors, namely: the female hormone estrogen; cholesterol lowering drugs (statins), drugs to lower high blood pressure, and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); nutrients including folate, vitamins C and E; and functional foods such as coffee.  Conversely, certain factors raised AD risk: elevated homoysteine and depression significantly increase risk of developing AD. Pre-existing disease also played a role:  frailty, carotid atherosclerosis, hypertension, low diastolic blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus (Asian population) increasing risk whereas history of arthritis, heart disease, metabolic syndrome and cancer decreasing risk) and lifestyle (low education, high body mass index (BMI) in mid-life and low BMI increasing the risk.  The study authors report that: “cognitive activity, current smoking (Western population), light-to-moderate drinking, stress, high BMI in late-life [decrease]… AD risk.”