Health. Stroke, dementia, and late-life depression: These diseases share 17 risk factors

Strokes, dementia, late-life depression. These are three diseases that are particularly feared by the aging population. And these three conditions are closely linked. "If you develop one of these, the risk of developing another is high," explains Dr. Jasper Senff of Mass General Brigham in the United States . According to him, these three pathologies share risk factors.

Working through various published meta-analyses of risk factors for stroke, dementia, and late-life depression, the scientists identified 17 modifiable risk factors common to at least two of the three diseases.

Thus, high blood pressure and severe kidney disease appear to be the factors with the greatest impact.

Next:

• High fasting blood sugar;
• High cholesterol;
• Excessive alcohol consumption;
• Poor diet;
• Hearing loss;
• Chronic pain;
• Lack of physical activity;
• Lack of goals in life;
• Poor sleep;
• Smoking;
• Social isolation and loneliness;
• Chronic stress;
• Untreated depression;
• Obesity.

The study highlights that improving even one of these risk factors could reduce the likelihood of developing all three brain diseases. The researchers thus confirm that regular physical activity and cognitive activities (such as puzzles) are associated with a lower risk. In other words, prevention doesn't have to be complex.