Dementia is a condition that affects considering, memory and talent to perform each day activities. Now, a latest study has revealed individuals with low bone density could also be more more likely to get dementia than those with higher bone density.

The study published within the American Academy of Neurology said that individuals with low bone density were 42% more prone to developing dementia than those with higher bone density.

“Low bone density and dementia are two conditions that commonly affect older people concurrently, especially as bone loss often increases resulting from physical inactivity and poor nutrition during dementia,” Mohammad Arfan Ikram, considered one of the researchers who led the study, said.

“Nonetheless, little is understood about bone loss that happens within the period leading as much as dementia. Our study found that bone loss indeed already occurs before dementia and thus is linked to a better risk of dementia,” Ikram added.

The study determined how dementia risk was affected by bone mineral density by evaluating 3,651 people within the Netherlands, who were at a mean age of 72. 

The group didn’t have dementia firstly of the study. The participants were examined every 4 to 5 years with bone scans and tests for dementia. After a mean of 11 years, 688 people developed dementia.

“Out of 1,211 individuals who had the bottom total body bone density, 90 of them developed dementia inside 10 years, while in comparison with 57 of the 1,211 individuals with the best bone density,” the study reveals.

The outcomes were found after adjusting the aspects akin to age, sex, education, other illnesses, medication use, and a family history of dementia.

“Our research has found a link between bone loss and dementia, but further studies are needed to raised understand this connection between bone density and memory loss. It’s possible that bone loss may occur already within the earliest phases of dementia, years before any clinical symptoms manifest themselves. If that were the case, bone loss may very well be an indicator of risk for dementia and other people with bone loss may very well be targeted for screening and improved care,” Ikram said.

Although the study proves an association between low bone density and memory loss, it doesn’t prove that low bone density causes dementia.

The study was also limited to people of European origin, who were above the age of 70. Due to this fact, the outcomes may differ in people from other races, and ethnicities, and amongst younger age groups.