Researchers have found nine different factors that can increase a man's risk of developing young-onset dementia.

With people living longer today, dementia has become a major health concern, with over 35 million people affected worldwide, including more than 40,000 people in Ireland.

According to researchers at Umeå University in Sweden, by 2050, an estimated 115 million people worldwide will have the condition. They decided to focus on young-onset dementia (YOD), which affects people under the age of 65.

They looked at almost 490,000 men who had been conscripted for Swedish military service between 1969 and 1980. At the time of conscription, they had an average age of 18. They were then followed up over a 37-year period, during which time, almost 500 developed YOD. Their average age when diagnosed was 54.

The researchers found that the risk factor most strongly linked to the development of YOD was alcohol poisoning. Those who had suffered alcohol poisoning were almost five times more likely to develop dementia.

Those who had used antipsychotic drugs, which are commonly used to treat mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, were three times more likely to develop YOD, as were those who had suffered a stroke.....