Metabolic Syndrome Linked to Developing Dementia in 30s or 40s

Credit: Adobe Stock/ Viacheslav Yakobchuk

A new study shows a link between metabolic syndrome and developing dementia before 65 years old.

Also known as early-onset dementia, this neurological disorder affects memory, thinking, and functioning. Early-onset dementia can start developing as early as someone’s 30s or 40s.

“While most dementia is diagnosed in older age, young-onset dementia occurs while a person is still working and perhaps raising a family,” said study author Minwoo Lee, M.D., P.h.D, of Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital in Anyang, South Korea. “Our study found having metabolic syndrome in middle age is a risk factor for young-onset dementia.”

According to Johns Hopkins, early symptoms of Alzheimer Disease include forgetting important or newly learned information, repeatedly asking for the same information, trouble solving basic problems, and confusion about time and location. People may also have depth perception and vision issues, struggle with conversations or finding words, misplace items without being able to retrace steps, show poor judgment, withdraw socially or from work, and exhibit mood and personality changes.

Early-onset Alzheimer Disease has no cure, but certain medicines can help maintain mental function, including Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine, Memantine, and Lecanemab-irmb. Experts recommend doing what you can to keep your mind and body as healthy as possible, such as eating a healthy diet, regularly exercising, cutting down on alcohol, and using relaxation methods to reduce stress.

The results of this recent study, published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, further confirm the benefits of a healthy lifestyle in preventing or slowing early-onset dementia. After all, metabolic syndrome is characterized by excess belly fat and having two or more of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglyceride levels, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (“good” cholesterol).”

Investigators assessed the link between metabolic syndrome and early-onset dementia by reviewing a national health insurance database in South Korea with 2 million people between the ages of 40 and 60 who had a health check-up. The check-up measured waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels. Among this database, 25% had metabolic syndrome.

Over an average follow-up period of eight years, 8,921 participants (0.45%) developed dementia. The incidence rate was 0.86 cases per 1,000 person-years in participants with metabolic syndrome, versus 0.49 cases for those without. Person-years represented both the number of participants and the amount of time each participant spends in the study.

After considering age, education, physical activity, depression, and stroke, the team found metabolic syndrome was linked to a 24% greater risk of dementia. Subgroup analyses showed metabolic syndrome was associated with a 12% increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 21% increased risk of vascular dementia.

Females with metabolic syndrome had a greater increased risk of dementia than males (34% vs 15%), and people in their 40s had a greater risk than people in their 50s.

The study found each component of metabolic syndrome was linked to an increased risk of dementia, and participants with all 5 components had a 70% increased risk of dementia.

Researchers noted that they did not review genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, which limits the findings.

“Our findings suggest that lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, and reducing stress, may help reduce the risk of young-onset dementia,” Lee said. “Future research that follows people over longer periods of time and uses brain scans to look for biomarkers of dementia is needed to confirm and expand upon our findings.”