Risks of Lewy Body Dementia - Could You Be Susceptible?

Finding new and interesting topics isn’t all that simple unless you think about something and begin searching - then discovering there isn’t anything really there at all - so, you being searching for so many other topics and Voila!  Thar it blows!  

While I know that Mom’s greatest fear was finding that she would succumb to Alzheimer’s, it is slightly ironic that she suffers from another form - I suppose those who know our family are clicking their tongues thinking ‘That family just has to find something interesting and novel, don’t they!’  Well, I suppose we did.  

I recall Mom’s bout of perplextion when my uncle (now deceased) was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.  She attempted to Pooh-pooh the thought, but I’m sure it frightened her, nonetheless, as well.  

A few years later, Mom would be diagnosed after suffering through and demonstrating behaviors that people noticed, but weren’t quite sure what was truly going on.  They probably didn’t want to ask, as Mom would put them off or even cease discourse with them rather than agree and listen - only those in her inner circle could say anything, and they did so with caution.

It was easy enough to believe Mom was simply growing older and she was presenting the signs associated with advanced aging.  Nope.  I recall spending time with her in Victoria in 2009 when she was tiring easily, shuffled her feet, and wasn’t really much herself.  She was tiring easily and was adamant in the Bengal Lounge, where we were going to dine, that her rental car membership card was the Entertainment card.  She admonished both the waiter and myself, as she truly believed (despite her reading the card over and over) it was what she stated.  We left as she decided she wouldn’t sup where they were being ridiculous.  

So, what caused the changes?  Were they present earlier?  How did dementia form?

These were some of the questions I was hoping to present some answers for, but alas, there isn’t a great deal of information, yet, on them.  

So, what are the basic conditions of being susceptible to LBD?  According to the Mayo Clinic they are:

1. Being Older than 60 (that’s Mom)
2. Being Male (not true for Mom, duh)
3. Having a family member with LBD (uh oh - that’s us.  Mom’s mother had Alzheimer’s which doesn’t present LBD as a risk factor, so …)

So, that  being said, and knowing there are those who lead healthy lifestyles and eat properly who develop the syndrome, there is still very little known about what the actual risks are (Lewy Body Dementia: Information for Patients, Families).

There is an interesting article in Forbes, which states that caregiver stress (which Mom had from dealing with our grandmother) and sustained stressors through middle-age could allow for an easier onset of the condition.   But, remember, the stress would need to be more chronic than just mild life stressors that most of us deal with in our lives.  

There are other articles and studies which push forth the same type of hypothesis, Psychosocial stress at work is associated with increased … from the NIH is another good example.  

9 Factors that Increase Your Risk of Developing Lewy Body …  at About Health states the following:

Until recently, the only known risk factor for developing Lewy body dementia was considered to be older age. Research has made some gains lately in sifting out what might increase the risk of developing Lewy body dementia. They include the following:

• Age:

As people age, they generally have a greater risk of developing Lewy body dementia. The typical age range for the development of Lewy body dementia is between 50 and 85, although it can occur outside those ages. In one recent study, researchers found that the peak age range for Lewy body dementia to develop is between 70-79.

• Not Smoking:

Interestingly, people with a history of smoking cigarettes have a lower risk of developing Lewy body dementia. However, the negative health effects of smoking are such that this is never recommended as a way to prevent Lewy body dementia.

• Low Education Levels:

More years of education are correlated with a reduced risk of Lewy body dementia.

• Depression and Anxiety:

A history of depression and anxiety increase the risk of developing Lewy body dementia.

• Less Caffeine Intake:

A history of higher caffeine consumption is associated with a lower risk of Lewy body dementia.

• Heredity:

About 10% of Lewy body dementia cases appear to be tied to heredity where the person inherits the disease from a parent. These familial cases of Lewy body dementia appear to occur often in younger people.

• Family History:

When someone has had Lewy body dementia or Parkinson's disease, his family members have a higher risk of developing Lewy body dementia.

• ADHD:

According to one study published in the European Journal of Neurology, almost half of the participants in the study had adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), compared to only 15% of those with Alzheimer's disease.

• Gender:

Men have a higher chance of developing Lewy body dementia than women do.  Approximately twice as many males as females develop Lewy body dementia.

In other words, from our experience, they really aren’t sure.  There are many factors that should have ruled Mom out, but guess what?!  Yup!  So, if I discover more on this, I’ll be sure to let you know!