Early-onset dementia has been on the rise in recent years — and a major new study has identified the likely reasons.

Researchers from Maastricht University (UM) in the Netherlands and the University of Exeter in the U.K. have identified 15 factors linked to the development of dementia earlier in life.

The study findings were published in JAMA Neurology on Dec. 26, 2023.

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“This study shows that there are a wide range of risk factors for young-onset dementia,” Stevie Hendriks, PhD, the lead study author and a postdoctoral researcher at Maastricht University, told Fox News Digital.

While some of them are genetic, others can be controlled through lifestyle changes.

“This study changes our understanding of young-onset dementia, challenging the notion that genetics are the sole cause of the condition and highlighting that a range of risk factors may be important,” said Hendriks.

15 risk factors

The study analyzed data from the UK Biobank, which included 356,052 participants who were age 65 and younger and had not received a dementia diagnosis. 

The data was collected between 2006 and 2010, with follow-up occurring until March 31, 2021, for England and Scotland, and Feb. 28, 2018, for Wales.  

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Of a total of 39 potential risk factors, the researchers identified 15 factors that were “significantly associated” with a higher risk of young-onset dementia.

“This study changes our understanding of young-onset dementia, challenging the notion that genetics are the sole cause of the condition and highlighting that a range of risk factors may be important,” said the lead researcher. (iStock)

Those include the following factors.

1. Lower formal education

2. Lower socioeconomic status

3. The presence of 2 apolipoprotein ε4 allele (APOE ε4, a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer disease)

4. Complete abstinence from alcohol

5. Alcohol use disorder

6. Social isolation

7. Vitamin D deficiency

8. High levels of C-reactive protein (a protein made by the liver that rises with increased inflammation, per Mayo Clinic)

9. Reduced handgrip strength

10. Hearing impairment

11. Orthostatic hypotension (lightheadedness or dizziness when standing after sitting or lying down, according to Mayo Clinic)

12. Stroke

13. Diabetes

14. Heart disease

15. Depression

“We already knew from research on people who develop dementia at older ages that there are a series of modifiable risk factors,” said Hendriks. 

“In addition to physical factors, mental health also plays an important role, including avoiding chronic stress, loneliness and depression,” she went on.

“The fact that this is also evident in young-onset dementia came as a surprise to us, and it may offer opportunities to reduce risk in this group.”

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The researchers were also surprised by the alcohol-related findings.

“Our analyses showed that both persons with moderate alcohol use and heavy alcohol use had less risk of young-onset dementia compared to persons who did not drink any alcohol,” Hendriks told Fox News Digital.

“In addition to physical factors, mental health also plays an important role, including avoiding chronic stress, loneliness and depression,” the lead researcher of a new study (not pictured) told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

“We are unsure why this is — one of our theories is that this may be due to the ‘healthy drinker effect,’ meaning that persons who do not drink may … have an illness or take medication,” she went on. 

“This means that the persons in the ‘no drinking’ group may be unhealthier than persons in the other groups, leading to the results we found.”

What is young-onset dementia?

When someone develops cognitive decline before age 65, it is defined as young-onset dementia.

There are approximately 370,000 cases of this type of dementia each year, according to a press release from MU.

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“Young-onset dementia has a very serious impact, because the people affected usually still have a job, children and a busy life,” said Hendriks. 

“The cause is often assumed to be genetic, but for many people, we don’t actually know exactly what the cause is. This is why we also wanted to investigate other risk factors in this study.”

Those with young-onset dementia can benefit from early diagnosis and support, the researchers noted.

“Young-onset dementia has a very serious impact, because the people affected usually still have a job, children and a busy life.”

“In the future, we hope to be able to provide individual advice on lifestyle and risk factors to decrease the individual risk of young-onset dementia — for instance, for persons who have a genetic predisposition,” Hendriks told Fox News Digital. 

Study is ‘welcome addition,’ more research still needed

Claire Sexton, senior director of scientific programs and outreach for the Alzheimer’s Association, based in Chicago, was not involved in the study but shared her reaction to the findings.

“Our risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other dementia is influenced by a variety of factors, including our age, genetics and a host of modifiable factors,” she told Fox News Digital. 

As relatively few studies have examined risk factors for young-onset dementia, Sexton said that this new research is a “welcome addition.”

“Our risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other dementia is influenced by a variety of factors, including our age, genetics and a host of modifiable factors,” an Alzheimer’s expert told Fox News Digital.  (iStock)

“Not surprisingly, a number of similar risk factors [for] late-onset Alzheimer’s emerged in the authors’ analyses, suggesting possible roles for genetics, socioeconomic status, activity levels, cardiovascular health, education and several additional factors,” Sexton said. 

“However, the insights into risk factors provided by this study remain important — once confirmed — in order to inform future risk reduction initiatives.”

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Sexton emphasized, however, that “epidemiological studies” like this one do not prove causation. 

“For many of these risk factors, the relationship may be bidirectional — that is, the factor may contribute to and/or be a consequence of disease onset.”

There are approximately 370,000 cases of this type of dementia each year, according to a press release from the university that conducted the research. (iStock)

Hendriks also acknowledged that this was an observational study, “which means we cannot say anything about causation.” 

Some factors in the study may be early signs of young-onset dementia rather than risk factors, the researcher noted. 

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“We need more studies investigating risk factors of young-onset dementia to validate our findings,” she said.

“Although this is the largest study on risk factors for young-onset dementia to date, bigger studies are needed to increase the reliability of the results,” Henriks added. 

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Regardless of age, there is always the opportunity to set and achieve new goals.

That’s the mindset of three women, all in their 90s, who live at Sunrise at East 56th, a senior living facility in Manhattan, New York.

“It’s never too late to improve yourself,” said Barbara Fleischman, 99, who is originally from Detroit, Michigan.

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Along with Lois Hummel, 90, and Dolores Wharton, 96, Fleischman spoke with Fox News Digital via Zoom about their New Year’s resolutions for 2024. 

They also shared some advice for younger generations. Their answers may surprise you.

Goals for New Year include, ‘Accept people’

Fleischman’s biggest New Year’s resolution is to be less judgmental of others.

“I want to assume that everyone is trying to be better, just like I’m trying to be better, and so I’m not going to sit in judgment,” she said.

“I’m just going to accept people and say, ‘They’re trying.’”

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Fleischman also aims to stop jumping to conclusions this year, she said.

Her resolutions for 2024 are quite different from the ones she set in years past, she indicated.

“Why do I need restraint? I’m 99.”

For example, she used to resolve to not eat so many sweets — but now she feels she’s earned the right to enjoy her dessert.

“Why do I need restraint? I’m 99,” Fleischman said with a laugh. “I’m having pumpkin pie or mint chocolate ice cream, and enjoying it very much.”

Barbara Fleischman, 99, is pictured with Jim Santana, executive chef at Sunrise at East 56th in Manhattan.  (Sunrise at East 56th)

Hummel, who grew up in Pennsylvania, said her primary New Year’s resolution is to continue her focus on staying active.

The day after Christmas, to mark her 90th birthday, she accomplished her longtime goal of walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.

“I couldn’t have done it without my trainer, Doug, and my very close friend, Miriam, who went with us and has a great sense of humor,” Hummel said.

“Acceptance is absolutely the key to happiness — but it’s probably the most difficult thing you could possibly achieve.”

The bridge was quite busy that day and not quite as serene as she expected — but Hummel said she still enjoyed the experience.

Looking ahead, she will continue working with her physical therapist and plans to walk around Roosevelt Island, which is about a mile in circumference, she said.

Like Fleischman, Hummel has also resolved to work on mastering the art of acceptance.

“Acceptance is absolutely the key to happiness — but it’s probably the most difficult thing you could possibly achieve,” she told Fox News Digital. “I try, but I haven’t been very successful at it.”

Dolores Wharton, 96, is pictured with her book, “A Multicultured Life.” Wharton is a retired corporate executive who also ran a nonprofit program to advance the careers of women and minorities. (Sunrise at East 56th)

Wharton, a lifelong New Yorker who’s been close friends with Fleischman for over 50 years, also has a resolution to walk regularly.

“I’m using a walker now, after having been in a wheelchair for a while after a fall last week,” she told Fox News Digital. 

“So now I want to be able to walk — not with a walker, but on my own — right into Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale’s, my favorite stores.”

Words of wisdom for all

When asked to share her best advice for younger generations, Fleischman stressed the importance of constantly growing and learning.

“You have to learn from what is happening around you and be smart enough to accept it,” she advised. “Acceptance is very important.”

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For example, Fleischman said she’s learned to accept the fact that she doesn’t hear or see as well as she once did, and she can’t swim like she used to — but she’s accepted those realities and still considers herself “very lucky.”

Hummel, a retired economist, encourages others to adopt a practice that encourages introspection and reflection.

“The most important thing I ever did for myself was to spend four years doing silent meditation,” she said, a practice that she started in her 60s and wholeheartedly recommends.

Lois Hummel, 90, is pictured crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, which was a longtime goal of hers, she told Fox News Digital.  (Sunrise at East 56th)

“It will give you insights into yourself and will serve you for the rest of your life, because you can learn more about acceptance than you can learn any other way.”

She added, “The more you look, the more you see the type of person you really are.”

Hummel also stressed the importance of looking after animals and the environment.

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Wharton’s advice is for people to “interact harmoniously” with one another.

After working for years on a nonprofit program to advance the careers of women and minorities, she also encourages females “to aspire to go into the corporate world.”

From left to right, Dolores Wharton, Barbara Fleischer and Lois Hummel spoke by video with Fox News Digital from Sunrise at East 56th, a senior living facility in Manhattan, New York. (Sunrise at East 56th)

The three women agreed that giving back to others and to the community should be a primary focus.

Fleischman, who spent many years doing volunteer work, shared a mantra she said her husband used to follow. 

“He said if the community has been good to you and you haven’t suffered, you owe something back to it. It’s a joy to help others who haven’t done as well as you have.” 

Above all, she added, people should try to be better, whatever that means for them.

“If each individual tries to be better and helpful to others, then the whole world will change.”

“You learn so much by reaching out to others — it’s a wonderful gain.”

Fleischman also advised people to be “less concerned about themselves and more concerned about others,” noting that “self-absorption” is not healthy. 

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“We’re here not only to help ourselves, but to help others,” she said. 

“You learn so much by reaching out to others — it’s a wonderful gain. And I hope that will be a resolution for many people.”

Benefits of goal-setting for seniors

New Year’s resolutions are especially important for seniors because they represent looking toward the future, according to Dr. Sandi Petersen, VP of health and wellness at Pegasus Senior Living in Dallas, Texas.  

“Seniors should be encouraged to look forward, regardless of age,” she told Fox News Digital. 

As a geriatric clinician, Petersen considers this a critical factor in her evaluation of older adults.  

“Are they looking forward to the future — or are they feeling isolated, alone or hopeless? If individuals are focused on the future, it’s a sign of mental health, whether they are 9 or 90+,” she noted.

“Seniors should be encouraged to look forward, regardless of age,” a geriatric clinician told Fox News Digital.  (iStock)

As some older adults with cognitive decline cannot make resolutions on their own, Petersen stressed the need for their loved ones to engage them in future-oriented conversations to promote socialization and improved quality of life. 

“And, given the mind-body connection, we know that improved mental health increases the likelihood of improved physical health and a better sense of overall well-being,” she added.

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Diana Santiago, clinical supervisor at Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania, noted that future goals for the older adults in her facility are mostly focused on “purpose and quality of life.” 

“Family seems most important to these folks, as that is what drives them to seek treatment,” she told Fox News Digital.

A geriatric clinician noted that future goals for the older adults in her facility are mostly focused on “purpose and quality of life.”  (iStock)

Some of the most common resolutions among her senior patients include improving relationships with family members, getting physically stronger and healthier, managing anxiety and depression, and managing chronic pain.

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“Sometimes goals with this population can even be simply focused on getting home from treatment and seeking to get better quickly,” Santiago said.

“We will use this as a motivation rather than as an obstacle.”

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Allowing very young children to access televisions and other screens could lead to sensory challenges for them later in their childhoods, according to a new study from Drexel University in Pennsylvania. 

The study, “Early-Life Digital Media Experiences and Development of Atypical Sensory Processing,” was published on Jan. 8 in JAMA Pediatrics. 

“This study finds an association between greater screen time in the first two years of life and ‘high’ sensory-related behaviors in areas,” the study’s lead author, Karen Heffler, M.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at Drexel University, told Fox News Digital.

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To arrive at the findings, the research team analyzed data on TV or DVD-watching among 1,471 babies and toddlers at 12 months of age, 18 months and 24 months. 

The data came from the National Children’s Study, a long-term look at “U.S. children and their parents designed to study environmental influences on child health and development,” according to the National Institute of Health.

The behavioral differences include “sensory seeking,” “sensory avoiding,” “sensory sensitivity” and “low registration,” Heffler said.

A child who is “sensory seeking” may be “attracted to spinning or shining objects” — whereas a child with “low registration” would typically avoid eye contact and may not respond in a timely manner to being called or to familiar voices, said Heffler. 

The study also found that children experienced different atypical behaviors depending on when they were exposed to screens.

“Although screen time of the children at each of the ages studied was found to be associated with atypical sensory processing at 33 months of age, the types of atypical sensory processing differed by the age of exposure,” Heffler noted.

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Children exposed to any amount of screen time at the age of 12 months were found to have a 105% greater likelihood of exhibiting “high” sensory behaviors, according to a press release.

At 18 months old, each additional hour of daily screen time for children was associated with a 23% increased likelihood of “high” sensory behaviors, as well as later sensation avoiding and low registration, the release stated.

“Atypical sensory processing is commonly seen in several behavioral health problems, including children with ADHD and up to 90% of children with autism.”

Screen exposure at 24 months “was associated with sensation avoidance, sensory sensitivity and sensation seeking,” said Heffler.

“Atypical sensory processing is commonly seen in several behavioral health problems, including children with ADHD and up to 90% of children with autism,” she also said. 

For children under age 2, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that screen time remain limited to video chats with family members. (iStock)

Autism is typically not diagnosed until a child reaches 2 years of age, according to experts.

“Prior to this study, there was little understanding of potential risk factors for atypical sensory processing,” said Heffler. 

While the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), based in Illinois, recommends that children avoid screen time altogether — aside from video chats with family members and friends — until they are about 18 to 24 months, “this study gives further evidence that screen time for the youngest children should be avoided,” the expert noted.

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Screen exposure among very young children had previously been linked to autism, ADHD, language delays and other brain differences, Heffler told Fox News Digital. 

“This study adds atypical sensory processing to the list of other developmental outcomes,” she said. 

As Heffler pointed out, infants “do not have the capability to fully understand what they see on TV or video, but the lights, colors, sounds and movement experienced during screen time would have an impact on how the neurons in the brain connect, potentially affecting sensory processing pathways and sensory-related behavior.”

Reducing screen time for children displaying “atypical sensory processing” behaviors may help reduce these behaviors, said the study lead. (iStock)

The hope of researchers is that the study will aid clinicians who are encountering young patients with sensory issues, she said. 

“For young children who are experiencing symptoms associated with atypical sensory processing, clinicians may wish to inquire about the children’s screen viewing habits,” Heffler said. 

Parents and clinicians who are seeing these types of behaviors may want to try eliminating screen time in favor of “social interaction and play,” said the expert.

“There is emerging evidence that markedly reducing screen time and increasing socially engaging activities in young children with autism, for example, is associated with reduction of autism-related symptoms, including the sensory-related symptoms of restricted/repetitive behavior,” she added.

What’s a healthy amount of daily screen time for kids?

Per its website, the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages any use of media for children younger than age two, as Fox News Digital has previously reported.

For kids ages two years and older, the organization recommends capping screen time at two hours per day.

Early access by kids to screens is associated with “atypical sensory processing,” according to a just-published study from Drexel University.  (iStock)

The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) outlines specific guidelines for each age group on its website.

For babies up to 18 months, it recommends limiting screen use to video chatting with an adult.

Between 18 and 24 months, its guidelines are to use screens only for educational programming.

For kids between two years and five years of age, the AACAP recommends a limit of one hour per weekday and three hours on weekends for any non-educational screen time.

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It does not specify an hourly limit for ages six and older — but does recommend encouraging healthy habits and limiting screen-based activities.

“To be honest and point-blank, the least amount of screen time is healthy for children,” Dr. Zeyad Baker, a pediatric physician with Baker Health in New Jersey, told Fox News Digital previously. 

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However, he admitted that it gets trickier for parents to moderate when kids need to do homework online — and he believes the quality of screen time comes into play when setting limits. 

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