Risk and protective factors for dementia

Dementia is a syndrome defined by a memory impairment accompanied by a deficit in at least one other cognitive domain (apraxia, agnosia, aphasia or an impairment of executive functions), affecting mainly elderly subjects. In dementia, brain lesions progress years before the diagnosis. Faced with this long-term dynamic and in a context of non-effective therapeutic response, prevention is an indispensable means of combating it. Among the modifiable risk factors identified on which it would be possible to act, lifestyle (in particular diet and physical activity) and the associated cardiovascular risk factors (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia) could offer a powerful panel for the development of prevention strategies. However, the age ranges at which these factors particularly influence the risk of dementia and cognitive aging remain partially elucidated