RDNA review and meta-analysis of 202 medical data sets found that 16 peripheral diseases, of 26 evaluated, were associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. The five peripheral diseases with the highest association with dementia risk were gum disease, chronic liver disease, hearing loss, vision loss, and Type 2 diabetes.
Summary: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-dementia-cases-linked-brain-diseases.html
Original paper (not open access): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02392-2
#Science #Health #Dementia #GumDisease #LiverDisease #Type2diabetes
One-third of dementia cases are linked to non brain-related diseases, study finds
Dementia is a term used to describe memory loss, impaired reasoning, difficulties communicating and other mental impairments that can be caused by Alzheimer's disease, other neurodegenerative disease, strokes, severe infections, head injuries or various other conditions. While most past studies investigating the causes and underpinnings of dementia focused on the brain, a growing body of research suggests that these mental impairments could sometimes be linked to diseases that affect other parts of the body, referred to as peripheral diseases.