Is poor health literacy a risk factor for dementia in older adults? Systematic literature review of prospective cohort studies

Dementia is a globally prevalent neurocognitive syndrome that affects nearly 50 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of care needs in later life [1,2]. Because of the lack of evidence around treatment options for dementia, targeting common modifiable risk factors for dementia (e.g. poverty, low education, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure) to prevent or delay the onset of the condition currently represents the most effective way to reduce the number of new dementia cases [3]. Investigating common risk factors for dementia and effective ways to improve these is an international public health priority [4].

Source: Maturitas - March 14, 2019 Category: Primary Care Authors: Deborah Oliveira, Alessandro Bosco, Claudio di Lorito Source Type: research