Impact of cardiovascular risk factors and genetics on 10-year absolute risk of dementia: risk charts for targeted...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Genetics

Background:

• Dementia poses a significant global health challenge, particularly for aging populations.
• A substantial portion of dementia cases may be preventable through managing cardiovascular risk factors.
• Current multi-domain interventions show promise but are costly for widespread implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a 10-year absolute risk score for all-cause dementia.
• To identify individuals at high risk for dementia who could benefit from early intervention.
• To inform public health strategies for dementia prevention.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 61,664 individuals in two Danish general population prospective cohorts.
• Generated 10-year absolute risk scores for dementia based on cardiovascular risk factors and genetic data.
• Included factors such as age, apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 genotype, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) risk alleles, diabetes, education, and smoking status.

Main Results:

• 10-year dementia risk escalated with age, APOE ɛ4 alleles, GWAS risk alleles, and cardiovascular risk factors in both sexes.
• Identified specific high-risk profiles, such as smoking women with diabetes and specific genetic markers, showing significantly elevated risks across age groups.
• Quantified the highest 10-year absolute risks ranging from 6% to 66% for women and 5% to 60% for men, depending on age and risk factor accumulation.

Conclusions:

• Age, genetic factors (APOE ɛ4, GWAS risk alleles), and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes, smoking, low education) are key predictors of 10-year dementia risk.
• Development of 10-year absolute risk charts for dementia is crucial for identifying individuals most likely to benefit from early interventions.
• Targeted interventions focusing on cardiovascular risk factors can be more effectively implemented by identifying high-risk populations through validated risk scores.