Lately, it seems like there is a new story in the news everyday about dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. One that recently got my attention was: “Dementia risk can be tested”. It’s no secret that a variety of lifestyle factors can influence one’s risk of developing dementia as well as the course of the condition once it is diagnosed. The key elements in the current report are:

Education
Raised blood pressure
High cholesterol levels
Obesity
Lack of exercise

Currently, dementia itself is assessed through symptom reporting and neuropsychological evaluations that generally included a battery of tests. Depending on use, some of these tests may be sensitive enough to detect some change in cognitive functioning, and when combined with family history assessment and examination of these other factors, may prove to be a very strong set of predictors.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 16 Aug 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.