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Tool Developed to Measure Individual Dementia Risk
A practical risk score tool was created to determine individual risk of dementia with nearly 100% accuracy of 13-year dementia risk, according to study results published in JAMA Network Open.
“We proposed a convenient and reliable risk score model for individual prediction of dementia risk based on [certain] predictors for men and women,” researchers noted. “The developed risk prediction system may help individuals to identify their potential risk profile and provide guidance on precise and timely actions to prevent or delay dementia.”
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Although dementia research has developed significantly in recent years, there is still no cure or treatment, so finding and avoiding risk factors could be important in preventing or lessening the severity of dementia.
Researchers used data from a population-based, prospective cohort study done in the UK from March 13, 2006, to October 1, 2010. Data was analyzed from June 7, 2021, to September 15, 2021. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify dementia predictors.
Of the 444,695 participants included in the study, 46% men and 54% women, with a mean age of 56 years. During the 13 years of follow-up, dementia occurrence was .7% for men and .5% for women. Though men and women shared some risk factors, independent factors were found, that accounted for 31.7% of men and 53.35% of women developing dementia, according to the weighted population-attributable fraction. The total point score of the risk model ranged from -18 to 30 in men and -17 to 30 in women. The model can be used to predict 5-, 9-, and 13-year individual dementia risk.
“We developed a risk score model that may be used without the need for tools such as neuroimaging,” researchers concluded. “Therefore, general practitioners may find our risk score model appropriate for clinical extension and practice.”
