Dementia Risk Varies by Country

A study that analyzed over 214,000 individuals has found that the factors that increase the risk of dementia vary significantly from country to country. The research, led by the University of Southern California (USC), included 214,000 older adults from 14 countries and regions. The researchers examined 12 modifiable dementia risk factors, including low education level, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, hearing loss, physical inactivity, and social isolation. According to the findings, low education level affected 85.6% of older adults in China, while this figure was 12% in the US. In contrast, high body mass index was found in 44.9% of older adults in the US and 13.3% in India. The researchers noted that while risk factors varied by country, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are related to cardiovascular disease, often occurred together, and behaviors such as smoking and alcohol use also tended to cluster. The scientists believe that these results suggest that each country should develop its own dementia prevention programs tailored to its specific health profile.