In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
An algorithm developed by British scientists using basic data at the disposal of general practitioners will allow to assess the risk of dementia in patients.
British health care patients will know whether they will develop dementia within five years. The information in their health record is sufficient to estimate the risk.
Researchers at University College London developed an algorithm to estimate the risk of dementia based on information available to general practitioners – such as age, zip code, health and education level.
This is the first test that is done without a blood test, memory test, or DNA analysis. The test is a combination of known risk factors such as a history of depression, heart attack, alcohol consumption, diabetes, arrhythmia, weight loss, smoking, high blood pressure, and social deprivation.
According to the authors, the test will help people feel calm when they suspect they are at risk of developing dementia. It can also act as a warning and mobilize patients to make lifestyle changes early enough to prevent the disease from developing.
It is believed that making basic changes, such as quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption and increasing physical activity, can reduce the incidence of dementia by up to a third. Research shows that one form of dementia, vascular dementia, is strongly associated with elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and obesity. This means that a simple lifestyle change is enough to prevent many cases of illness each year.
– Our algorithm can complement the diagnostic software. For example, a doctor will be able to create a risk model for eligible patients, and direct those at higher risk to more detailed research, says Dr. Kate Walters of the Population and Aging Research Center at University College London, who led the study.
About a third of Alzheimer’s disease cases can be attributed to factors that are potentially modifiable. It is estimated that reducing the seven main modifiable factors by 10-25%. will prevent between 1 and 3 million cases of dementia worldwide.
– The test may be especially useful for people with a low risk of dementia. It will enable GPs to help patients who are concerned about the prospect of developing dementia. Now, you may be able to avoid unnecessary research and years of worry for people whose risk is very low.
However, it should be taken into account that informing patients about the high risk of dementia has ethical implications. Currently, diseases such as Alzheimer’s are incurable and the accuracy of the new test does not exceed 85%. This means that 15 patients out of 100 will hear the forecast incorrectly.
“This is not the first Alzheimer’s test to be published, but the first to not require additional patient data, which is a great advantage,” says Clare Walton of the Alzheimer’s Society.
- Read more about Alzheimer’s
– At present, we do not know effective methods of preventing dementia and we cannot accurately estimate the risk. In this situation, do we want to know? I am not sure if if I were older I would like to know – she adds.
– Dementia is scary and science still does not understand the disease, so risk tests should be approached with caution until they are refined. Before we begin informing patients about the degree of risk in clinics, we should carefully consider the impact of such information on the well-being and standard of care available, warns Walton.
In the UK, 850 people suffer from dementia, most of whom have Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that their number will exceed one million by 2020, and in 2050 it will reach two million.
To determine what factors contribute to the development of dementia, researchers analyzed the health records of approximately one million people who received GP care from 2000 clinics in the UK between 2011 and 377. Particular attention was paid to patients who developed dementia. Based on this information, scientists developed an algorithm and then tested its validity on 265 patients for five years.
It turned out that the test predicts the risk with very high accuracy in people aged 60-79, but not in patients aged 80-95.
Research is ongoing into new drugs that will be able to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, provided treatment is started early enough. If clinical trials confirm their effectiveness, regular screening for Alzheimer’s will soon be the norm.
- Find out more about the Elderly Disease Specialization Geriatrics.
Recently, experts from the Royal Society announced that treatments for dementia would be available within 10 years.
Before this test becomes widely used, we recommend that you conduct independent tests on a larger population and consider the ethical implications of using it in practice, adds Walters.
Dr Matthew Norton of Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “A test that accurately identifies patients at high risk of dementia could encourage people to make lifestyle changes that would lower the risk.
– It would also be useful in identifying participants in clinical trials. While this test is fairly accurate at identifying the risk of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia in people aged 60-79, it is not XNUMX% accurate and therefore requires refinement and, in the long run, understanding of its potential as a diagnostic tool in the hands of UK healthcare practitioners.
The results are published in the magazine “BMC Medicine”.
IN BRIEF: DEMENCY
What is dementia?
Dementia, also known as dementia, is a severe reduction in mental performance – thinking, remembering, and reasoning – caused by loss of brain function.
Is dementia the same as Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for around 62 percent of the population. diagnosed cases.
Who is at risk?
In most cases, the first symptoms appear between the ages of 60 and 70. An estimated 850 people suffer from dementia in the UK. In 2025, the number of people suffering from dementia could exceed one million.
Is dementia curable?
Dementia is a progressive disease for which modern medicine has no cure. However, there are therapies that can help relieve symptoms. In the advanced stage, patients are not able to perform the simplest tasks.
What causes dementia?
The reasons are still not fully known. Scientists believe that genetic and environmental factors, as well as lifestyle, play an important role.
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website.