Dementia is usually associated with older people, but each year a large number of people are diagnosed with dementia in their younger years. This phenomenon, which occurs before the age of 65, affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, disrupting careers, family life and daily routines.

Dementia is a progressive condition that impairs cognitive functions such as memory, thinking and reasoning. It affects daily life and communication, often leading to confusion and personality changes.

A recent study published in JAMA Neurology highlights 15 lifestyle and health factors associated with the risk of dementia in young people, and provides insight into how individuals can reduce their chances of developing this debilitating condition.

“This is the largest and most robust study of its kind to date,” said David Llewellyn, an epidemiologist at the University of Exeter in the U.K. The study, published in December, analyzed data from 356,052 individuals under age 65 in the U.K. Llewellyn emphasized the importance of the study, saying it reveals actionable factors that may help reduce the risk of dementia before age 65.

The study identified 15 factors that may increase the risk of developing dementia in young age. These include both health and lifestyle factors:

• Low socio-economic status
• Social isolation
• Hearing impairment
• shock
• diabetes
• Heart disease
• Depression
• Vitamin D deficiency
• high C-reactive protein level (an indicator of inflammation)
• APOE4 gene variant (associated with Alzheimer’s disease)
• alcohol abuse
• physical weakness
• low hand grip strength
• Chronic stress
• Loneliness

These factors are linked to a variety of aspects of physical and mental health, meaning many of them can be changed. “We may be able to take action to reduce the risk of this debilitating condition by targeting a number of different factors,” Llewellyn explained.

The study found a complex relationship between alcohol consumption and young-onset dementia. While alcohol abuse increases the risk, moderate to heavy drinking lowers the risk.

Researchers suggest this may be because moderate drinkers tend to live healthier lifestyles overall. It’s important to note that people who abstain from alcohol often do so because of underlying health problems, which could skew the results.

The research highlights the important role of mental health in dementia risk. Although these findings do not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between these factors and YOD, they do contribute to a clearer understanding of how dementia develops.