Dementia: The 10 factors that predict YOUR risk of Alzheimer’s in the next decade

ALZHEIMER'S is the most common form of dementia and accounts for up to 80 per cent of cases.

If you want to predict your risk of the condition in the next decade, then experts say there are ten things you should be looking out for.

1

The NHS says that the main symptoms of Alzheimer's include confusion and disorientation and difficulty making decisions.

The first signs usually include minor memory problems, but experts say that signs could actually be lingering long before this.

Researchers at the Paris Brain Institute looked at the health records of over 20,214 people with Alzheimer's in the UK and 19,458 people in France.

From this data, they compared each person's medical records over 15-years and looked at people who had and hadn't received a diagnosis of a progressive brain disease.

Around 123 health conditions were reported and from this ten had a higher association with Alzheimer's disease.

The study was published in the and the experts behind the research said diseases like Alzheimer's can begin in the brain two decades before symptoms start to show.

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Here are the 10 conditions that could predict your risk of Alzheimer's:

1. Major depression
2. Anxiety
3. Constipation
4. Abnormal weight loss
5. Reaction to severe stress
6. Sleep disorders
7. Hearing loss
8. Type of arthritis called cervical spondylosis
9. Falls
10. Fatigue

First author of the study Dr Thomas Nedelec explained that the findings of the study make it possible to look at the risk factors of Alzheimer's and how they can be prevented.

"The question remains as to whether the health problems encountered are risk factors, symptoms, or warning signs of the disease", he added.

Despite the findings, it's important to note that the study did have some limitations.

The study was observational rather than a clinical trial and was unable to take into account other risk factors such socioeconomic status and genetics.

Dr Claire Sexton, direction of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer’s Association in the United States said it's important to note that not everyone who has the ten symptoms found in the study will go on to have Alzheimer's.

Speaking to she said: "Just because someone has depression does not mean they will go on to develop Alzheimer’s.

“However, these data support the idea that taking care of one’s mental health is incredibly important for overall well-being and potentially cognitive health,” she added.

GET HELP

If you think you might have Alzheimer's then it's important that you seek help with your GP.

The NHS says that because the symptoms of the condition develop slowly overtime then it can sometimes be hard to spot.

Guidance states that there's no single test that can be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease.

They added that it's important to remember that memory problems do not necessarily mean you have Alzheimer's disease.

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Treatment may help slow down the progression of the condition and the main aim is to treat the underlying cause to help prevent further problems, such as strokes.

Medicines and lifestyle changes will be encouraged including eating healthily, losing weight if necessary, stop smoking, get fit and cutting down on alcohol.