Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Account for More Than One-Third of Dementia Risk
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, June 5, 2025 -- A substantial number of U.S. dementia cases could be eliminated by mitigating modifiable cardiometabolic risk factors, according to a study published online in the May issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
George K. Karway, Ph.D., from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, and colleagues used data from roughly 20.8 million Medicare beneficiaries (756,321 with incident dementia and about 20.03 million controls) to examine the impact of cardiometabolic diseases on dementia risk.
The researchers found that the nationwide combined weighted population-attributable fractions for the eight cardiometabolic diseases was 37 percent overall, with hypertension (9.6 percent), ischemic heart disease (6.7 percent), and chronic heart failure (5.7 percent) having the greatest attributable fractions of dementia cases. The Southeastern United States had the greatest fraction of county-level dementia cases attributed to cardiometabolic diseases.
"A substantial number of dementia cases could be eliminated by mitigating modifiable cardiometabolic risk factors, especially in U.S. counties with a high risk of dementia attributed to these risk factors. More realistically, a 15 percent proportional reduction in these risk factors would reduce incident dementia cases in the population by an estimated 6.3 percent," coauthor Brad Racette, M.D., also of the Barrow Neurological Institute, said in a statement. "Regional variation in dementia burden can be explained partially by the disproportionate concentration of obesity, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy diet among those living in Southern states."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2025
Read this next
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Tied to Decrease in T2DM-Related Dementia Risk
WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2025 -- Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are associated with reduced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-related dementia risk compared with...
Risk for Dementia, Ischemic Stroke, Mortality Lower With GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in T2D, Obesity
TUESDAY, July 22, 2025 -- For adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are associated with a lower risk for dementia, stroke...
Dementia Risk Does Not Differ With GLP-1 RAs, DPP4is for Seniors With T2DM
MONDAY, July 21, 2025 -- For older adults with diabetes, there is no clear evidence to suggest that the incidence of dementia differs for those using glucagon-like peptide 1...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.