Millions exposed to Covid could be at greater risk of young-onset dementia – 5 signs of the devastating disease
PEOPLE who’ve had Covid could be at greater risk of dementia before the age of 65, scientists have warned.
Patients struck with long-lasting symptoms from the virus may be up to five times more likely to get the memory-robbing condition early, US researchers suggested.
It comes after warnings that Covid cases have more than doubled since January this year.
Since tearing through the globe five years ago, Covid-19 has infected millions Brits – some of who have suffered lingering effects to their health months or even years after picking up the virus.
Known as long Covid, it affects an estimated 1.8 per cent of the UK population, according to recent research by Oxford University scientists.
Aside from crippling fatigue, muscle aches and dizziness, people with long Covid are often struck with debilitating “brain fog” – problems with memory and concentration.
Some patients with the condition may even go on to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which can be a precursor for dementia for about 10 per cent of patients.
Studies have found that older people who get Covid-19 are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s – a form of dementia – sooner, compared to those who haven’t had it.
It’s unclear if Covid triggers the process that leads to dementia, or accelerates it in people already at risk of the brain robbing disease.
Scientists also don’t yet know if the increased risk of cognitive problems gets worse over time.
Dr Gabriel de Erausquin, a neurologist at University of Texas Health San Antonio, found that older adults had double the risk of moderate to severe cognitive impairment after being struck by long Covid, compared to younger people.
These patients – aged over 57 – displayed cognitive difficulties that looked much like early dementia symptoms, he said.
He told the Wall Street Journal: “If you look at the tests they have the profile of a person with very early Alzheimer’s disease.
“Do they have Alzheimer’s disease? We don’t know.”
But Dr de Erausquin said: “It doesn’t look in older adults that this is a reversible process.”
He’s now conducting a study following 4,000 people in five locations around the world who contracted Covid-19 when they were over 60 years old.
Early data from the research shows that up to one-third of people with long-Covid over the age of 65 meet the criteria for an MCI diagnosis.
“That’s huge,” he says. “That’s a four- or fivefold increase in the prevalence.”
What are the early symptoms of cognitive decline?
WE all notice a natural decline in memory and thinking as we age.
This will be more pronounced in some people, as they experience memory and thinking problems that are mild but still noticeable.
This is described as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Unlike dementia sufferers, people with MCI can still get on with day-to-day life.
Research suggests that two out of 10 people over the age
of 65 have MCI, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK.
About one in 10 people who’ve received an MCI diagnosis will go on to develop dementia.
Symptoms of MCI include:
Memory – Misplacing items or having trouble
remembering recent conversations.
- Attention problems – finding it difficult to concentrate,
e.g. while watching a TV programme or carrying out
duties at work - Disorientation – confusion about time, date or place
- Thinking skills – problems with planning or completing
tasks, e.g. managing money, or cooking a meal - Problems with communication and finding the right words
- Mood and behaviour changes – becoming irritable, anxious,
or feeling low
These symptoms may affect someone with MCI all the
time, or they might come and go.
There are steps we can take to keep our brains as healthy as possible. These include:
- Not smoking
- Doing regular physical activity
- Staying mentally and socially active
- Eating a healthy balanced diet
- Limiting the amount of alcohol we drink
- Having your hearing checked regularly
- Keeping blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol
levels in check
Ronald Petersen, a neurology professor at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, told the Wall Street Journal that MCI can be caused by a number of factors
For people in their 70s or 80s, underlying Alzheimer’s disease can be a common cause.
About 10 to 15 per cent of people with MCI who see a doctor will develop dementia a year, Prof Peterson added.
Symptoms typically include memory problems – such difficulties remembering recent events or learning new things – that persist over a few months to the point of becoming noticeable.
While dementia is progressive, meaning it gets worse over time, this isn’t always the case for MCI.
Early on-set dementia symptoms
Dementia is considered young or early-onset if symptoms appear before the age of 65.
Although dementia is thought of as a condition that is just associated with old age, it is estimated that around 70,800 people with dementia in the UK are under 65.
But many people aren’t aware of the signs of early-onset dementia, and it isn’t necessarily memory loss.
Dementia UK lists the symptoms of early onset dementia to look out for:
- Behaviour and personality changes
Becoming irritable or anxious, making irrational and out of character decisions or experiencing changes in mood
- Language and communication issues
Having difficulty finding words, slurring speech or noticing changes in handwriting.
- Movement and coordination problems
Being clumsy, experiencing issues with balance and losing mobility.
- Declining social and life skills
Struggling to complete tasks and meet deadlines at work, being unable to recall things or less willing to socialise or go out
- Visual perception and spatial awareness issues
Mis-reaching for objects in clear view, experiencing hallucinations or having difficulty judging distances
For the majority of people affected, the cause of early-onset dementia is a combination of lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors and is more likely to be inherited compared to late-onset Alzheimers.