Exploring the links between dementia and cardiovascular diseases: causal interference and early detection

With an ageing population, the number of people with dementia is projected to escalate to 152.8 million by 2050. Dementia is a complex disease with a variety of underlying risk factors, biological pathways, and brain substrates. Although the main risk factor of dementia is age, preventing cardiovascular risk factors can prevent up to 40% of dementia cases (1). Using a multimodal, big data approach, this project will yield new insights into the links between cardiovascular risk factors, biological pathways and brain endophenotypes, which will suggest novel approaches to prevention and early detection of dementia.