Dynamic Clustering of Modifiable Dementia Risk Factors

The CfS awarded funds to establish links between the Centre for Statistics and Edinburgh Dementia Prevention.

Research Team: Sara Wade,  Vanda Inacio, Graciela Muniz-Terrera, Anja Leist and Mica Teo

Project Summary: Dementia is a major international public health concern; in 2019, 50 million people worldwide were estimated to be living with dementia, which is set to reach 152 million by 2050. The cost of dementia to governments, social services and individuals has reached staggering figures, with £34.7 billion reported in the UK in 2019. In the absence of a cure, effective prevention strategies become critical to reduce dementia risk and lessen the burden of dementia at all levels of society. This requires a deep understanding of factors associated with higher dementia risk and particularly, of modifiable risk factors that are amenable to interventions.

Dementia modifiable risk factors identified in literature include education, hearing loss, traumatic brain injury, hypertension, alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, physical activity, depression, social isolation, diabetes, and air pollution. Such risk factors are often regarded as independent and static, despite evidence suggesting they are interrelated and change over time. Literature also suggests significant differences in behaviours between older men and women. The aim of this pilot project is to identify unique patterns and quantify the dynamics of modifiable risk factors for dementia as well as to explore sex specific differences, generating knowledge for the development of personalized lifestyle interventions for dementia risk reduction.