Kids as young as seven at risk of dementia due to 'unhealthy habits' decades before diagnosis

Experts have issued a warning that the risk of dementia may begin to accumulate as early as childhood. A child's body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and levels of physical activity have been linked to changes in the brain by the age of 20 - particularly in areas associated with dementia.

While it is known that a person's health in mid-life can be a potential predictor for dementia in their later years, researchers have not previously investigated whether there could be an impact from childhood onwards. .

In a new study published in the journal eBioMedicine, researchers suggested that being unhealthy in childhood and adolescence could set the stage for a decline in brain health later in life. The team at the University of Oxford's Department of Psychiatry, in collaboration with University College London, analysed data from 860 people participating in the long-term Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

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This study tracks people's data over a long period of time by examining various measures related to their health.

The academics examined blood pressure and BMI when children were aged seven to 17, their physical activity levels when they were aged 11 to 15, and brain scans from young adulthood when they were around 20 years old. They discovered markers of poorer cardiovascular health - such as higher childhood blood pressure and faster growth of BMI across teenage years - were associated with differences in the structure of a type of brain tissue called grey matter, including its thickness and surface area.

Links were particularly evident in brain regions that are known to be affected in dementia in old age. Similar links between heart health and brain health have already been shown in older patients with memory difficulties and dementia, they added.

The researchers said their findings provide "preliminary evidence" that dementia risks could be identified and mitigated earlier in life. But they called for further work to look into the finding but suggested it may have implications on timings of "preventive measures".

"Our research shows that cardiovascular health in the earliest stages of life may already be important for the structure of brain regions known to be affected in dementia in old age - much earlier than previously thought," said lead author of the paper Holly Haines. The co-author of the paper, Associate Professor Sana Suri from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, added: "The findings suggest that we should be thinking about targeting modifiable lifestyle risk factors, such as obesity and exercise, decades before current lifespan models of dementia suggest. The early adolescent years merit greater consideration in the context of dementia prevention."

David Thomas, head of policy and public affairs at Alzheimer's Research UK, said the study may influence the risk of developing dementia.

He said: "Up to 45 per cent of dementia cases can be prevented by avoiding risk factors that we can influence, such as physical inactivity and smoking. These are Many folks unknowingly adopt habits early in life that could have serious implications for their brain health down the line. "Recent action from the Government to support the health of future generations, including the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill, are positive steps towards tackling some of the factors that affect our risk of developing dementia. But with the number of people affected by dementia on the rise, more must be done."