Dementia risk factors
The risk gene riddle
It turns out that risk genes are a really important piece of the puzzle that helps us build our understanding of how a disease progresses.
All you need to know about smoking and dementia
Most people know that smoking leads to poor health and a substantially increased risk of cancer and lung disease. But what’s the link to dementia?
Behind the headlines: Football and dementia
The results will naturally raise questions from anyone interested in the sport, so here’s everything you need to know about the findings.
Everything you need to know about the causes of Alzheimer’s disease
Dementia isn’t just a part of ageing. It’s caused by diseases. Alzheimer’s disease is the culprit in around 2/3 of dementias.
Disrupted sleep – a cause or consequence of Alzheimer’s?
It’s important to get enough sleep to stay healthy and feel well rested. We’ve all experienced a bad night’s sleep and probably know that it can have an impact on our memory and thinking skills in the short term. But could sleep problems have a long-term effect on the brain?
Does Down’s syndrome hold the key to cracking Alzheimer’s?
It can come as a surprise to know that having Down’s syndrome puts people at much higher risk of Alzheimer’s. In fact, the genetic rearrangement that causes Down’s syndrome is one of the greatest genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s.
Why don’t we think about brain health in the same way we think about heart health?
Although we haven’t seen any new treatments for dementia in over 15 years, there has been considerable progress in research to understand the underlying diseases.
Alcohol and dementia risk – what we know so far
We know that there are many factors that contribute to dementia risk. There is no surefire way to prevent dementia. Limiting alcohol consumption may be one way to reduce risk but people can develop the condition regardless of alcohol use.
Head injury, sport and dementia: should we be worried?
It is both a challenging and exciting time to be investigating the relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and dementia. A recent surge in attention around the topic is welcome but links with the milder-end of head injury in sport have to be treated with caution.
Football and dementia
In his documentary programme Dementia, Football and Me, former footballer Alan Shearer investigates a potential link between playing football and the risk of a form of dementia related to head injuries. His documentary follows a small study we reported on earlier this year which pointed to the need for more research into an issue that other sports are already having to grapple with.
