Alcohol intoxication is listed as one of 12 factors in the new research (Picture: Getty Images)
Loneliness, hearing impairment and the misuse of alcohol are all among the risk factors that may dramatically increase the risk of dementia striking at a young age.
New research has found that tackling a variety of health and lifestyle factors can cut the chances of someone developing the condition before the age of 65.
The major study shows that the risk of dementia is not purely determined by genetics, according to the scientists behind it.
They identified 12 factors that appear to increase the risk and three that seem to reduce it.
More than 70,000 people in the UK are living with young-onset dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
Other factors listed in the research are depression, stroke and diabetes – while moderate alcohol use, formal education and high handgrip strength are associated with reduced risk.
Professor David Llewellyn, of the University of Exeter, said: ‘There’s still much to learn in our ongoing mission to prevent, identify, and treat dementia in all its forms in a more targeted way.
‘This is the largest and most robust study of its kind ever conducted.
‘Excitingly, for the first time it reveals that we may be able to take action to reduce risk of this debilitating condition, through targeting a range of different factors.’
The 12 risk factors highlighted in the study
In the research, scientists identified 12 risk factors which are associated with higher risk of young-onset dementia:
Orthostatic hypotension
Depression
Alcoholic intoxication
Stroke
Genetic risk (the APOE gene)
High deprivation
Diabetes
Heart disease
Vitamin D deficiency
Hearing impairment
High C-reactive protein levels
Social isolation
The research followed more than 350,000 people younger than 65 across the UK from a biomedical research resource named the UK Biobank.
Published in Jama Neurology, it was co-funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Dr Leah Mursaleen, head of clinical research at the charity, said: ‘We’re witnessing a transformation in understanding of dementia risk and, potentially, how to reduce it on both an individual and societal level.
‘In recent years there’s been a growing consensus that dementia is linked to 12 specific modifiable risk factors such as smoking, blood pressure and hearing loss .
‘It’s now accepted that up to four in 10 dementia cases worldwide are linked to these factors.’
She added: ‘This pioneering study shines important and much-needed light on factors that can influence the risk of young-onset dementia.
‘This starts to fill in an important gap in our knowledge. It will be important to build on these findings in broader studies.’
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Alcohol intoxication is among the dozen factors identified in new research.
