Unexpected risk factors for Alzheimer's disease listed

Air pollution, sleep disturbances and certain dietary habits may be associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. This conclusion was reached by scientists whose study was published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia (A&D).

Experts studied data from almost 500 thousand people, whose health was monitored for an average of 15 years. Scientists assessed the influence of 193 factors, including diet, physical activity, sleep, living conditions and social connections. The results revealed 76 factors associated with the risk of dementia, of which 34 were directly related to Alzheimer's disease.

Unfavorable factors included smoking, too little or too much sleep, frequent daytime sleepiness and air pollution. Increased risk was also observed in people with financial difficulties, low levels of education and poor housing conditions. Unexpectedly, scientists have discovered a link between an increased risk of dementia and a lack of eggs in the diet.

However, walking, exercise, gardening, and eating cheese and poultry were associated with a lower risk of disease. A similar association was found for living with a partner and higher income.

Based on the data obtained, scientists developed a system for assessing the risk of dementia. It turned out that people with the highest scores had almost three times the risk of developing the disease than participants with the lowest.

However, the authors emphasize that the study does not prove that the factors found directly cause or protect against dementia.