Research presented at the ECNP Congress shows routine hemoglobin blood tests may indicate long-term dementia risk, with low hemoglobin levels linked to a 16% higher overall dementia risk in a 15-year study of 316,542 Korean adults. Separately, global modeling published in JAMA Neurology projects annual dementia diagnoses will more than double from 11.4 million in 2023 to 24.7 million by 2050, disproportionately affecting women and lower-income nations.
Hemoglobin levels and dementia risk
- ▪A Dong-A University College of Medicine study presented at the ECNP Congress found adults with the lowest 20% of hemoglobin levels had a 16% higher risk of all-cause dementia than the reference group.
- ▪Research published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease showed that participants in the lowest 20% of hemoglobin levels had a 14% higher risk of Alzheimer's disease and a 19% higher risk of vascular dementia.
- ▪The Dong-A University College of Medicine study found participants in the highest 20% of hemoglobin levels had a 7% higher risk of all-cause dementia and an 18% higher risk of vascular dementia.
Korean study design and cohort
- ▪Researchers categorized the 316,542 Korean participants into five equal groups based on hemoglobin levels to evaluate long-term dementia risk over a follow-up period of up to 15 years.
- ▪A Dong-A University College of Medicine study analyzed national health screening records of 316,542 Korean adults aged 40 and older from 2004 to 2005, tracking dementia diagnoses through 2019.
Global dementia growth and disparities
- ▪Monash University researcher Matthew Pase stated that projected dementia growth in low-income countries is alarming because those healthcare systems are less equipped to manage surging care demands.
- ▪A Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing study of 38,418 people across 18 countries estimated that global annual dementia diagnoses will increase from 11.4 million in 2023 to 24.7 million by 2050.
- ▪A University of NSW study published in JAMA Neurology found that dementia incidence rates were highest among women and individuals living in low-income and middle-income countries.
Dementia prevention through lifestyle
- ▪Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing co-director Henry Brodaty recommended engaging in at least half an hour of physical activity five days a week and adopting a Mediterranean diet to support brain health.
- ▪Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing co-director Henry Brodaty stated that almost half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors.
Debatable claims
- ▪Public health policy should prioritize funding lifestyle prevention over expensive pharmaceutical dementia treatments
- ▪Routine hemoglobin levels are a reliable clinical indicator of long-term dementia risk
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