Neurodegenerative Disease

Numbers

• Brain diseases account for 6% of all deaths

Types

• Alzheimer’s Disease

• Parkinson’s Disease

• Vascular Dementia

• Lewy Body Dementia

Risk factors

35% of dementia attributable to 9 modifiable risk factors

• Low educational attainment

• Midlife hypertension

• Midlife obesity

• Hearing loss

• Late-life depression

• Diabetes

• Physical inactivity

• Smoking

• Social isolation

Prevention

• Physical exercise

• Treat CVD risk factors

  • High blood pressure

Unproven benefit

• Omega-3 - may be protective

• Mediterranean diet - may be protective

• Alcohol - some evidence light alcohol use may be protective

• Low Vitamin D - might be harmful

• Statins - possible protection