Thankfully, there are many specialists in memory care and far more information regarding dementia and Alzheimer’s today than there was in the early 1980s. My great-grandmother (Grammy) suffered from a head injury when she was in her twenties and later, starting in her late sixties, suffered from Alzheimer’s and died by the time she was in her mid-seventies. As you can see, head injury, ageing, and gender were significant risk factors that played a part in my Grammy’s decline.
I often wondered why my not-so-old next-door neighbor was stricken with dementia at only fifty-two years old, went downhill quickly, and was gone both mentally as well as physically by the time he was in his late fifties. We later discovered that he had abused alcohol for many years and was very ill with end-stage alcoholism – a major risk factor for dementia.
Here are some key risk factors of dementia:
- Alcohol
- Diabetes
- Tobacco smoking
- Head injury
- Depression
- Hearing loss
- Air pollution
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Social isolation
- Ageing
- Cardiovascular disease
- Hypercholesterolemia
- Diet
- Genetics
- Less Education
- Infrequent social contact
- Visual impairment
- Chronic diseases
- Sleep disturbances
- Gender
If you notice, alcohol is at the top of the list, and for good reason. According to Dementia UK, “There is strong evidence that drinking too much alcohol increases the risk of developing dementia. This includes regularly drinking more than the recommended maximum of 14 units of alcohol per week, and binge drinking.
Hearing impairment and deafness
Untreated hearing loss can lead to cognitive decline in mid-life. This is thought to be due to reduced brain stimulation. We depend on being able to hear what is said or happening around us for our thought processes and memory formation,”.
In addition to my well-liked neighbor and my Grammy, my mother-in-law also suffered and died from complications of dementia. We knew that ageing, diet, and, at different points in her life, obesity were definitely factors, but what I was not aware of was that her hearing impairment may have contributed to developing dementia as well.
Sleep and dementia risk
Recently, I have been struggling with sleep disturbances because of menopausal symptoms such as bone pain, muscle pain, hot flashes, and sleep apnea, which have directly affected my quality of sleep for at least the last year or so. Learning that experiencing sleep disturbances is a risk factor for dementia is quite concerning and prompts me to schedule that sleep study as soon as possible.
Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health reports these findings between sleep and dementia risk, “Like low levels of physical activity, poor-quality sleep is also associated with higher dementia risk: People with sleep disturbances such as insomnia or sleep apnea are 19% more likely to develop dementia. And, as with physical activity, the relationship appears to go both ways.
Missing out on slow-wave sleep—the deepest stage of sleep where the body repairs itself from the day—is associated with the build-up of amyloid beta. In turn, brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease themselves also seem to disturb sleep, disrupting the synchronized brain waves that characterize deep sleep. This bidirectional effect creates a ‘vicious cycle’ that may begin long before cognitive or memory problems emerge, says Spira.
Brendan Lucey, MD, a sleep and aging researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a collaborator of Schrack and Spira’s, also is concerned about sleep disturbances’ impact on cognitive function. Though blood tests to measure amyloid beta levels are becoming more accurate and accessible, he says ‘they don’t tell you about brain function. Sleep could give you an earlier signal that there’s starting to be some dysfunction in the brain.’,”
What is the biggest risk factor for developing dementia?
Unfortunately, my mom did not get to grow old, nor did my grandmother (Nana); however, it might have been a blessing too. Both my mother and grandmother were severe diabetics. Both passed away from congestive heart failure, a common side effect of uncontrolled diabetes.
My mom’s unmanageability was a direct result of a delayed diagnosis, as she missed all of the early warning signs. By the time she started treating her chronic fatal disease, she was never able to get control of her glucose levels. As a result, she passed away at the young age of fifty-eight, but not before she had the following side effects of diabetes:
- Vision loss (she was legally blind from diabetic retinopathy)
- Neuropathy in her hands and feet
- Renal failure (kidney failure)
- Delayed wound healing
- Skin issues
- Sleep disturbances
On the other hand, my Nana’s uncontrolled diabetes was that she went misdiagnosed for years because they had not been testing as often, and the medical community did not know as much about it as they do today. She was immediately put on insulin and had these side effects from her diabetes that included, sleep disorders, large babies (9 lbs. 10 oz, 10 lbs., 12 lbs. and 11 lbs.), miscarriages, one stillbirth, and birth defects with two of my aunts, heart problems, extremely dry skin and neuropathy in her feet. Ultimately, she died of congestive heart failure at the young age of sixty years old.
If you can imagine, with all of my mother’s and grandmother’s health issues in relation to their chronic diabetes disease, they would have been at a higher risk of developing dementia had they lived longer into their sixties. Add to that the hereditary factor of Grammy’s/their mother/grandmother’s Alzheimer’s disease, they too probably would have had to be placed in a memory care facility.
When I was around seven years old, that is when Grammy had to go to the nursing home, and it was not like the nice memory care facilities you see today. My mom, the eldest granddaughter, took on the caregiver role for her beloved Grandma. With me in tow, we visited Grammy often.
My memories of that nursing home were sad. I wouldn’t wish this slow death on my worst enemy. It broke the whole family’s hearts to watch this courageous woman go down like that.
Risk factors of dementia
In conclusion, although dementia risk factors are varied, understanding and addressing them can significantly improve quality of life. By staying informed and proactive, we can better support those affected and work towards reducing the prevalence of this condition. Let’s continue to prioritize brain health and well-being!