Researchers from WA's Perron Institute have found further evidence of a link between low bone mineral density and dementia
Ultrasounds could be used to predict a persons risk of dementia, after a study by Perron Institute researchers found further evidence of a link between bone density and the disease.
Published in the Springer-Nature journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, the study used UK Biobank data from over 488,000 people, narrowed down to a cohort of 131,000.
UWA and Perron Institute postdoctoral research associate and primary corresponding author Dr Jun Yuan said dementia and osteoporosis frequently co-exist.
"Decreasing bone mineral density is one of the key pathological features of osteoporosis and it has been reported that patients with osteoporosis are at higher risk of dementia later in life," he said.
"It is plausible that bone health outcomes are associated with the onset and progression of dementia during ageing, which makes screening for lower bone mineral density a promising indicator.
"Identifying individuals at substantial risk of dementia could facilitate earlier diagnosis and enable patients and their families to implement lifestyle changes to slow progression."
The study looked to build on the previous research linking low bone density to dementia, which were completed on much smaller cohorts and used dual-energy X-rays.
"Previous studies have investigated bone mineral density by dual-energy X-ray absorption (bone density scan) at sites such as the femoral neck and lumbar spine, with samples sizes mostly small," Dr Yuan said.
"The alternative technique of quantitative ultrasound, estimating bone mineral density in the heel, is a reliable and non-invasive method for assessing skeletal health - mobile, radiation-free, inexpensive and easy to perform.
"Further research will help determine whether the association between reduced bone mineral density and dementia risk is due to a casual link, and aid in developing effective strategies for delaying or preventing dementia onset."
