A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford has identified air pollution, diabetes, and alcohol consumption as the top three risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s disease. The study, published in Nature Communications, analyzed brain scans from 40,000 individuals in the UK biobank, ranging from ages 44 to 82.
Researchers examined various factors including blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, weight, alcohol, smoking, and more to determine their impact on the brain regions associated with memory and cognitive functions. Diabetes diagnosis, nitrogen air pollution, and alcohol consumption were found to have the most significant effects on these brain regions.
According to study co-author Gwenaëlle Douaud, these risk factors have a double impact compared to other common factors like sleep, weight, smoking, and blood pressure. A previous study in 2020 also highlighted hypertension, hearing impairment, smoking, and obesity as contributors to up to 40% of dementia cases globally.
