Stroke, dementia, depression. At first glance, those three health conditions may not seem to have much in common. But all three can be described as age-related brain diseases—and the idea of “what’s happening in one part of the body could affect other areas” has perhaps never been more true, according to new research focused on identifying health risk factor links between these diseases.
“At least 60% of stroke, 40% of dementia and 35% of late-life depression (LLD) are attributable to modifiable risk factors,” says a new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.
For the study, a research team—predominantly featuring neurology experts from Massachusetts General Hospital—reviewed scientific literature, looking for risk factor analyses on stroke, dementia, and late-life depression. From there, the data was combined and reviewed for risk factors that could be changed through behavior modifications. The factors also had to overlap for at least two of the three diseases.
Additionally, the researchers “also estimated the relative impact of each risk factor on measures of quality of life and early death,” according to a Mass General Brigham press release.
When analyzing a number of risk factors that overlapped between at least two of the age-related brain diseases, two risk factors—severe kidney disease and high blood pressure—”had the biggest impact on the incidence and burden of stroke, dementia, and late-life depression,” according to the press release.
Other risk factors were identified:
- Alcohol consumption
- Blood pressure
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Cognitive activity
- Depressive symptoms
- Diet
- Fasting plasma glucose (blood sugar levels after a period of fasting)
- Hearing loss
- Kidney function
- Long sleep durations
- Pain
- Physical activity
- Purpose in life
- Smoking
- Social engagement
- Stress
- Total cholesterol
Said the study’s first author, Jasper Senff, MD, a post-doctoral fellow at Mass General Brigham’s Brain Care Labs: “Dementia, stroke, and late-life depression are connected and intertwined, so if you develop one of them, there’s a substantial chance you may develop another one in the future.”
But a few promising factors related to a lower disease risk did emerge, including high levels of physical activity and engagement with cognitive-focused leisure activities (such as puzzles). However, the team cautioned these findings “may be symptomatic rather than causal,” as people with brain disease may experience more difficulty when trying to engage with these activities.
Other factors pointing to lower brain disease risk were:
- Consuming low to moderate levels of alcohol, especially less than one drink per day
- Diets high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, dairy, or fish
- Feeling like you have a sense of purpose in life
- Having a large social network
Ultimately, the study’s results could help guide future preventative strategies—and the researchers have already used the findings to update the McCance Brain Care Score assessment, a tool for tracking brain health.
As pointed out by study author Jonathan Rosand, MD, MSc, founder of the Global Brain Care Coalition, the findings “remind us that preventing disease can be very simple. Why? Because many of the most common diseases share the same risk factors.”
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