REALISING you are becoming forgetful could be a 12-year advance warning of potential dementia.
Researchers have found that when people begin suffering memory problems they are three times more likely to develop dementia later in life, even if they have no clinical signs of diseases like Alzheimer’s.
The experts studied 531 people with an average age of 73 who were free of dementia.
They were asked yearly if they noticed any changes in their memory.
Of the one in six people investigated who developed dementia during the study, 80 per cent had first reported memory changes much earlier.
Study author Dr Richard Kryscio, of Kentucky University, said: “Our findings add strong evidence to the idea that memory complaints are sometimes indicators of future memory and thinking problems. Unfortunately, we do not yet have preventive therapies for Alzheimer’s.
“What’s notable about our study is the time it took for this transition to dementia or clinical impairment to occur – about 12 years.”
“There may be a window for intervention.”
The researchers, whose results are published online in the journal Neurology, found that 56 per cent of participants went on to report changes in their memory at an average age of 82.
Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “It is important to note that many people who report mild memory problems do not develop the condition. Anyone with concerns about their memory should speak to their doctor.”
By: Jo Willey, Published: Thu, September 25, 2014
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