University of Queensland-led study gives hope to prevent condition increasing dementia risk
The published study has linked frailty to an increased risk of developing dementia – but also pointed to the potential for prevention strategies.
The research, led by David D. Ward from the Centre for Health Services Research in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Queensland, tracked 20 years of data from almost 30,000 participants of four studies in the United Kingdom and the United States.
The study enabled researchers to detect changes in people’s health and function 20 years before they were diagnosed with dementia.
“The accumulation of age-related conditions is indicative of increasing frailty, which we found accelerates up to nine years prior to a dementia diagnosis,” Dr Ward said.
“Our findings show with every four to five 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 frailty is not merely a consequence of undetected dementia but contributes to its onset.”
Frailty is a health state related to ageing where multiple organ systems lose their resilience, making individuals more likely to experience adverse health outcomes like falls, disability and hospitalisation.
“People age at different rates and the number of health problems that accumulate is captured by their degree of frailty,” Dr Ward said.
“By understanding the connection between ageing, frailty and dementia we can use targeted intervention strategies to reduce risk and improve quality of life.
“This finding supports integrating frailty screening into routine check-ups and could be used to inform health programs which promote lifestyle interventions such as exercise and nutrition.”
According to the World Health Organization, more than 55 million people have dementia worldwide, with 10 million new cases every year.
Study co-author, Professor David Llewellyn from the University of Exeter Medical School, said the research was one of the most comprehensive examinations of the link between frailty and dementia.
“This study is crucial because it identifies frailty as a significant predictor of dementia risk, offering a potential pathway for early intervention to improve health outcomes,” Professor Llewellyn said.
