People with short arms and legs have a greater risk of developing dementia, according to a report recently published in Neurology.

Tina Huang, PhD, leader of the research team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, said in a news release that their findings were consistent with other research done on the Koreans. The shorter the length of the limb, the greater the risk of dementia.

Huang and colleagues theorize that short limb length and high dementia risks are associated to the poor nutrition received by a person at a young age.

Studies have claimed that the environment of a person while he is young may contribute to the development of chronic diseases when he gets old and may include Alzheimer's disease.

Research adds that anti-inflammatory painkillers protect against Alzheimer's. Regular intake of ibuprofen lessens the risk by 40 per cent.