Scientists Identify Significant Risk Factors for Young-Onset Dementia

A study of Swedish men identifies nine risk factors for cases of dementia that presents in patients under 65 years old. Known as young-onset dementia (YOD), the condition is linked to inherited genetic mutations in families, and the discovery of additional risk factors will help scientists better understand the ailment. In a study of 488,484 Swedish men, 487 were diagnosed with YOD around age 54. Stroke, depression, father’s dementia, depression and alcohol intoxication were among significant risk factors. “These risk factors were multiplicative, most were potentially modifiable, and most could be traced to adolescence, suggesting excellent opportunities for early prevention,” the study says. Click here to read the full story.