A new study shows that men with heart disease risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and smoking may have declining brain activity, leading to dementia 10 years earlier than women. The study was published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry and was conducted by researchers at Imperial College London, UK.

The study findings show that men with heart disease risk factors may develop dementia a decade earlier, in their mid-50s to mid-70s, compared with similarly affected women, who are in their mid- to mid-60s. Up to 70s are susceptible.

The Alzheimer’s Association defines dementia as “Dementia is not a single disease. It is an overall term to describe a collection of symptoms that a person may experience when living with a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Diseases classified under the general term “dementia” are caused by abnormal changes in the brain that cause a decline in thinking skills, also known as cognitive abilities, which impairs daily living and independent functioning. to do It is quite serious.

Researchers found that the most vulnerable areas of the brain are those involved in processing auditory information, aspects of visual perception, emotional processing, and memory.

He said the harmful effects were just as pronounced in people who did not have the high-risk APOE4 gene, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, as in those who did.

“The detrimental effects of cardiovascular risk were widespread throughout cortical regions, highlighting how cardiovascular risk can impair a range of cognitive functions,” the researchers said.

For the study, researchers included 34,425 participants from the UK Biobank, all of whom had both abdominal and brain scans. Their average age was 63 years but ranged from 45 to 82 years. The results showed that both men and women with increased levels of abdominal fat and visceral adipose tissue had lower brain gray matter volume.

The researchers said high cardiovascular risk and obesity led to a gradual decline in brain volume over several decades. The team thus stressed the need to target “modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity” to treat or prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

The study also emphasizes “the importance of aggressively targeting cardiovascular risk factors before age 55 to prevent neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease”. They may also prevent other cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke.

The researchers said that although the study is observational and no firm conclusions can be drawn, targeting cardiovascular risk and obesity early may be beneficial.

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