Causes And Risk Factors For Lewy Body Dementia

Age

Age is considered the greatest risk factor for Lewy body dementia. It is more likely to affect individuals over fifty years old. The average onset period is between fifty and eighty-five years old, with a progressional decline after the initial onset. However, some cases have reported the initial onset much earlier than fifty years old.

One study showed a significant link between the initial onset and the severity of the disease. The study covered a sample of individuals with Lewy body dementia from early-onset (twenty-eight years old) to late-onset (eighty-nine years old). It found that individuals with an earlier onset of Lewy body dementia had a more aggressive form of the disease than those who had a later onset.

Continue reading to learn how gender impacts this condition next.

Gender

Gender also appears to be correlated with Lewy body dementia, with a higher occurrence of the disease in males. A study based on autopsy studies attempted to define why males tended to have higher rates of Lewy body dementia and were able to dismiss co-founding attributes. These attributes included a patient's length of life, smoking status, and education level.

The study theorized that environmental exposures and the alteration of sex hormones might play a part in the increased risk. Despite this theory, the study acknowledged that further research would need to be conducted to establish a definitive link and understanding of the sex component related to the occurrence of Lewy body dementia.

Continue reading to learn about genetics and Lewy body dementia next.