Anaemia may raise dementia risk

A study published in the latest issue of the journal of the American Academy of Neurology suggests that anaemia or low levels of red blood cells may increase the risk of dementia.

Researchers in the US examined 2,552 older adults between the ages of 70-79 for anaemia. The participants also underwent memory and thinking tests over 11 years, 393 of those had anaemia at the start of the study. At the end of the study, 445 (about 18 per cent) of them had developed dementia.

The findings suggested that people who had anaemia at the start of the study had a nearly 41 per cent higher risk of developing dementia than those who were not anaemic. The relation remained after considering other factors, such as age, race, sex and education.

Read more Health News.