8 common risk factors for early onset dementia
Early onset dementia or young-onset dementia (YOD) is dementia that absorbs the patient before the age of 65. Dementia affects about 35.6 million people all around the world, out of which an estimate of four to ten percent is YOD or early onset dementia. This type of dementia hits the person when they are young, approximately at the age as early as 30-35. Dementia is caused when there are plaques built around the brain, risk factors of early onset dementia gene mutations that affects the production and processing of this plaque.
There are 8 risk factors for early onset dementia that account for about 68 percent of this condition, here are they in order of importance:
- Alcohol use : Alcohol use is one of the most prevalent risk factors for early onset dementia, excessive alcohol use is commonly known to induce memory loss and thereby lead to dementia. Most cases have noticed that alcohol abuse causes hallucinations, paranoia and memory loss, which are daunting risk factors of early onset dementia.
- History of stroke : A stroke occurs when a part of the brain stops receiving blood supply and faces errors in its functioning. This causes the brain to stop functioning smoothly which further becomes a risk factor for early onset dementia. If you have a history of strokes, it increases the possibilities of diagnosing dementia.
- Use of antipsychotic medication : Depression or a psychotic condition usually leads to use of antipsychotic medication, the brain is slightly damaged when you first diagnose a brain disease. The use of antipsychotic medication can help in improving your existing condition, but it could act as a risk factor for early onset dementia.
- Depression : Depression, a condition of the brain, can isolate you from the real world and take your brain into a world of its own. Depression can lead you into having vague thoughts and can also leave you in a sad spot. Depression is known to have many negative impacts on the functioning of the brain as a person suffering from depression loses the ability to think rationally.
- Hereditary dementia : Hereditary dementia can be one of the common risk factors for early onset dementia. Although this risk factor is at is peak if your biological father has suffered through the condition.
- Illicit drug use : Drug use in any form can be damaging to the brain, overuse of drugs can also lead to death, in some cases. Memory loss is one of the most common conditions tethered to drug use. It is a strong risk factor for early onset dementia.
- Low cognitive function at the time of enlistment : Cognitive function of the brain is to understand, focus-on and reciprocate to actions happening around you. A drop in the cognitive functioning of the brain leads to early onset dementia as the brain loses its capacity to understand things around it.
- Low weight and high blood pressure at the time of enlistment : Both low weight and high blood pressure are conditions that can cause a malfunctioning in the procession of the brain, thereby leading to dementia in some cases.
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