Diabetes, hearing loss among key factors for dementia in India; women more prone to it: study

A new study highlights diabetes, hearing loss, physical inactivity, and undernourishment as key risk factors for dementia in India, with women being more prone to the condition. Researchers from Rutgers University, US, analyzed data from Indian population studies spanning from 2000 to 2025. The prevalence of dementia in India was higher among rural populations, likely due to underdiagnosis of contributing risk factors.

The findings align with the 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia identified by the 2024 Lancet Commission. Metabolic and vascular risk factors, particularly diabetes, play a significant role in midlife dementia risk among Indians. Diabetes, which South Asians often develop earlier and at normal body weight, can double or triple the risk of dementia.

Hearing loss, affecting 41% of adults in India, increases dementia risk by 59% and raises the risk of Alzheimer's disease by roughly double. Physical activity, even as little as 35 minutes weekly, is linked to a 41% lower dementia risk, yet over half of Indian adults do not meet this recommendation. Unlike Western countries, where excess weight is a primary risk factor, being underweight and undernourished also increases dementia risk in India.

Limited education and vision impairment are other identified risk factors. The findings suggest that addressing these modifiable risk factors could prevent or delay dementia in nearly half of the cases. The study, published in Alzheimer's and Dementia, advocates for urgent longitudinal studies to identify modifiable risk and protective factors specific to the Indian population.