Almost Half Of Dementia Cases Could Be Prevented Or Delayed, Here’s How

As dementia research continues to develop, researchers have discovered that dementia can be prevented or delayed for almost 50% of people. 

According to the NHS, there are more than 944,000 people in the UK who have dementia and1 in 11 people over the age of 65 have dementia in the UK.

However, according to these findings, there are risk factors previously unknown to us that impact an individual’s chances of developing dementia.

Addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, starting in childhood and continuing throughout life, could prevent or delay 45% of dementia cases, even as people live longer, the Lancet commission on dementia said.

The 14 health and lifestyle factors that impact dementia risk

Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “The researchers calculate that if, as a society and as individuals, we could completely address these 14 health and lifestyle factors it could prevent or delay nearly half (45%) of dementia cases.”

However, the charity added that this news doesn’t mean that individual cases can be attributed to other lifestyle or non-lifestyle factors, saying: “Just as we are all affected by both the genes we’re born with and the lives we lead, our chances of developing dementia are influenced by both too. And there’s no sure-fire way of preventing it.”

What this research is saying is that dementia is more common among people who have one or more of these risk factors:

• Quality of education in early life
• Social isolation
• Air pollution
• Traumatic brain injury
• Hearing loss
• Depression
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Physical inactivity
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Uncorrected vision loss
• High cholesterol

 Alzheimer’s Research UK added: “The good news is that this provides a huge opportunity to take steps throughout our lives to keep our brains healthy and lessen the devastating impact of dementia on our society and our loved ones in future.”

If you’d like to learn more about brain health or improve your own, visit the Alzheimer’s Research UK Brain Health Hub.