At one time or another, we have all forgotten where our keys are, where we put something, or simply forget something we previously might have remembered. This was always chalked up to forgetfulness and a sign of aging. However, new research just published indicates that people who are forgetting things should be concerned about this potentially being an early sign of dementia.
A new study published in the American Academy of Neurology indicates that people who are beginning to forget things may need to be concerned, even if cognitive tests indicate there are no issues. Participants who reported memory problems at the beginning of the study were more likely to have dementia later in life. Researchers watched 531 people over the span of 10 years at the University of Kentucky. Each year they were asked if they felt any changes in their memory since their last visit. Autopsies were then done on participants who died to determine if their brains showed any signs of dementia.
More than half the people in the study reported that they had some sort of memory loss. Scientists claim those who reported they were having issues remembering things were more likely to develop dementia later in life. Mild cognitive issues happened about 9.2 years after participants first noticed an issue.
“Not everyone who has memory complaints ends up with impairment,” Richard Kryscio, lead researcher, said. “But if we can get some hints that there is something going on here and treat people early on, there may be some hope (for prevention).”
What surprised researchers was how long it took participants to develop dementia related issues from when they first started to experience memory issues. As with any study, researchers need to do further evaluation of this correlation. To find out more about this study, please click here.
