Study Links One-Third of Dementia Cases to Non-Brain Diseases, Highlighting New Risk Factors
A recent study conducted by researchers at Sun Yat-sen University has revealed that approximately one-third of dementia cases may be linked to diseases that do not directly affect the brain. The study, published in Nature Human Behavior, involved a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from over 200 studies, identifying 16 peripheral diseases associated with an increased risk of dementia. These diseases include periodontal diseases, chronic liver diseases, hearing and vision loss, type 2 diabetes, and others. The research suggests that these peripheral diseases collectively contribute to about 33.18% of the global dementia burden, equating to 18.8 million cases worldwide.