An international study led by a University of Queensland researcher has found that frailty increases the risk of dementia, but early intervention could be the key to prevention.
Dr. David Ward of the Center for Health Services Research tracked data from nearly 30,000 participants in four longitudinal studies in the United Kingdom and the United States, allowing researchers to detect changes in people’s health and functioning 20 years before they were diagnosed. dementia was diagnosed.
“The accumulation of age-related conditions is indicative of increasing frailty, which we believe accelerates to nine years before the diagnosis of dementia,” said Dr. Ward.
“Our findings show that for every 4 to 5 additional health problems, there is on average a 40% higher risk of developing dementia, while for people who are fitter the risk is lower.
“This suggests that frailty is not just a consequence of undetected dementia, but contributes to its onset.”
Frailty is a health condition associated with aging in which multiple organ systems lose their resilience, making individuals more likely to experience adverse health effects such as falls, disability, and hospitalization.
“People age at different rates and the number of health problems that accumulate is determined by their level of vulnerability,” said Dr. Ward.
“By understanding the link between aging, frailty and dementia, we can use targeted intervention strategies to reduce risk and improve quality of life.”
“This finding supports the integration of frailty screening into routine check-ups and could be used to inform health programs that promote lifestyle interventions such as exercise and nutrition.”
According to the World Health Organization, more than 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, with 10 million new cases every year.
Co-author of the study, Professor David Llewellyn from the University of Exeter Medical School, said the study was one of the most comprehensive studies into the link between frailty and dementia.
“This study is critical as it identifies frailty as a key predictor of dementia risk, and provides a potential pathway for early intervention to improve health outcomes,” said Professor Llewellyn.
“The success of this study depended on international collaboration, which allowed us to investigate diverse populations and increase the validity of our findings, which will likely shape future clinical trials and prevention strategies.”
The study was a joint effort between researchers from the University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Exeter and the Alan Turing Institute. , Nova Scotia Health, University of Colorado Boulder, Sapienza University of Rome, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm University, Italian National Institute of Health, Dalhousie University and the Medical University of Graz.
The research was supported by the Deep Dementia Phenotyping (DEMON) Network and the Australian Frailty Network (AFN).
The research article was published in JAMA Neurology.
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Magazine reference:
Ward, D.D. et al. (2024). Frailty pathways preceding dementia in the US and UK. JAMA Neurology. doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.3774.