1 day Ago By Fiona Callingham
An NHS doctor is flagging five health issues he's labeled "sneaky" because they might secretly be escalating your chances of dementia. Backed by research, these under-discussed factors contribute to cognitive decline. With figures suggesting over 944,000 UK residents grappling with dementia—with expectations for this to grow—awareness is key.
Dementia not only affects memory but can alter behavior and mobility, among a slew of other challenging symptoms. However, one doctor maintains that 'lots of things' can lower dementia risk. It's long been acknowledged that genetics and age could predispose someone to dementia, yet a striking 45% of all cases might just be swayed by choice and habit.
Popular drug 15 million Americans take could prevent dementia, research finds Four red flag dementia signs that can happen in the middle of the night The doctor, famed as Dr Raj on TikTok, cited an authoritative study from last year pointing to changeable lifestyle factors safeguarding against nearly half of potential dementia cases. He relayed from the 2024 Lancet commission, "If you want to reduce your risk of dementia, according to a 2024 Lancet commission, nearly half of dementia could theoretically be prevented by addressing 14 risk factors." Among these, he emphasized five that warrant greater public awareness.
Highlighted factors influencing dementia risk include cognitive inactivity, social withdrawal, exposure to air pollution, traumatic brain injury, and hearing loss. Also listed are depression, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, excessive drinking, unaddressed vision impairment, and elevated cholesterol. He went on to say: "But of these 14 risk factors, there are five particularly sneaky ones which more people should know about one.
" Dr Raj then outlined how to identify if you're affected by these factors. High cholesterol. More specifically, the study associates high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol with dementia.
LDL cholesterol is often referred to as "bad" cholesterol and is responsible for the hardening and thickening of the arteries. Dr Raj clarified: "Excess brain cholesterol has been linked with an increased risk of stroke, and brain deposition of amyloid and tau protein." A build up of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain are known to cause Alzheimer's disease.
"As someone who's over the age of 30 I now do annual blood test," Dr Raj continued. "Because on a random blood test when I was 28, I found out I had high cholesterol, which thankfully, I was able to treat with dietary changes." One method to lower your cholesterol is by altering your diet to eliminate saturated fats, found in butter, cheese and red meat.
However, if your GP believes your cholesterol is too high they may prescribe you with statins. High blood pressure. For this reason, Dr Raj advised getting your blood pressure checked regularly.
He stated: "Many adults have high blood pressure but they remain unaware because they don't have any noticeable signs or symptoms. "If you're 30 and over I suggest checking your blood pressure annually." This is the advice of a health expert who also recommends reducing salt intake, cutting back on alcohol, and quitting smoking to maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, should be discussed with your GP if detected. Hearing loss. The connection between hearing loss and dementia risk isn't fully understood yet, but research has shown a definite link.
Dr Raj explained: "At the moment this seems to be more of an association with dementia rather than causation. "We don't know if hearing loss contributes to dementia or the other way around, but hearing loss can lead to social isolation and or depression, both of which are risk factors for dementia. The good news is this can often be corrected with hearing aids.
" Regular hearing tests can help monitor your ear health. Visual loss. Visual loss was newly identified as a dementia risk factor in last year's Lancet study, increasing your risk by 2%.
"Not only is this an independent risk factor for dementia but could also be a clue of an underlying condition like diabetes," Dr Raj cautioned. If you have concerns about your eyesight, it's recommended to schedule an appointment with an optician. Diabetes.
Lastly, Dr Raj pointed out: "Poor control of type 2 diabetes means a higher risk of dementia but catching things early often leads to better health outcomes. So if you're doing an annual blood test include an HBA1C, this is a marker of long-term blood glucose control." The Lancet report identifies nine other risk factors for dementia:.
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