The variety of dementia instances worldwide is about to go 150 million by 2050.

However, it is estimated {that a} third of those instances are brought on by avoidable danger components.

With no remedy in sight, scientists proceed to give attention to how life-style modifications may cut back the danger of the mind-robbing situation.

Now, new research, revealed within the journal BMJ Medicine, steered that folks with leaner muscle mass may very well be much less more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Lead writer Dr Iyas Daghlas, of the University of California, San Francisco, stated: "Despite the steady increase in the prevalence, no effective treatments for this devastating disease exist.

"Prevention of Alzheimer’s by means of identification of modifiable danger components is thus a key public health intention."

Using a technique known as Mendelian randomisation, the research team looked at over a million volunteers, including 450,243 people from the UK Biobank.

"Based on human genetics knowledge, people randomised to lifelong greater lean muscle mass had a 12 % decrease danger of Alzheimer’s disease and scored greater for cognitive efficiency,” Dr Daghlas stated.

What’s extra, the examine outcomes remained "statistically robust" even after taking components like age, intercourse and ancestry under consideration.

Some individuals are naturally programmed to have lean muscle mass however they will also be constructed by combining a healthy diet with resistance coaching.

Dr Daghlas stated: "These analyses provide new evidence supporting a cause-and-effect relation between lean mass and risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

"They additionally refute a big impact of fats mass on the danger of Alzheimer’s disease and spotlight the significance of distinguishing between lean mass and fats mass when investigating the impact of adiposity measures on well being outcomes."

What’s more, the research team suggested that identifying the biological mechanisms behind the phenomenon could open the door to developing new drugs.

Dr Daghlas said: "Several mendelian randomisation analyses have recognized the consequences of cardiometabolic danger components on the danger of Alzheimer’s disease, which may very well be additional investigated as potential mediators of the impact of lean mass."

The effect could also be mediated by mechanisms including circulating myokines, which are proteins released during strenuous exercise.

Dr Daghlas said: "Potentially related secreted myokines embody irisin, brain-derived neurotrophic issue 5, and cathepsin B.

"Identification of the key causal pathways might lead to the development of treatments that harness and potentiate the neuroprotective effects of lean mass.

"Our findings have to be replicated with impartial traces of complementary proof earlier than informing public well being or medical observe.

"Also, extra work is required to find out the cut-off values for age and diploma of pathology of Alzheimer’s disease after which modifications of lean mass may now not cut back the danger."

Despite the promising findings, there are nonetheless many questions and it’s presently not clear whether or not growing lean mass may additionally reduce the danger of Alzheimer’s illness in sufferers with preclinical illness or delicate cognitive impairment.

However, if future research again the findings, “public health efforts to shift the population distribution of lean mass, potentially through campaigns to promote exercise and physical activity, might reduce the population burden of Alzheimer’s disease”, the skilled added.