A new report published today has identified two new ways to lower our risk of dementia, and estimates that up to 45% of cases could be preventable.
The Lancet Commission report adds ‘uncorrected vision loss’ and ‘high cholesterol’ to the previous list of 12 modifiable risk factors (things we can do to reduce our risk). It found that, together, uncorrected vision loss and high cholesterol are associated with 9% of all dementia cases.
The updated list of risk factors includes:
• 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
The findings of this latest report build on the work of Brain Health Scotland – launched by Alzheimer Scotland in 2020 at the start of an exciting and innovative movement to highlight the potential of dementia prevention.
The goal of Brain Health Scotland is to promote lifelong brain health and create a legacy of long-term dementia prevention strategies. By reaching out as early as possible into our schools and wider communities we can actively engage with the public and target people known to be at risk of brain diseases.
By empowering Scotland to look after its brain health, we could cut the estimated 20,000 new cases being diagnosed each year by nearly half. New evidence also suggests that reducing the risk of dementia increases the number of healthy years of life for people who do develop the condition.
In particular, the Lancet report highlights the increased risk to those in lower socioeconomic groups. More must be done to make sure everybody has equal, and early, access to diagnostic services like our Brain Health Service in Aberdeen. A multi-agency project between Scottish Government, NHS Grampian, and Alzheimer Scotland, this dedicated space enables people to recognise their personal risk of diseases that can lead to dementia.
There is still a lot we don’t know about the brain and why dementias develop. That’s why investing in dementia research is so crucial. Only through research can we find out more about the diseases that lead to dementia and, ultimately, can we find a cure.
Our Brain Health Scotland team’s mission is to inspire and empower people to protect their brain health and reduce the risk of diseases that lead to dementia. Working with all ages, from young to old, and across the whole of Scotland, they provide information and advice on brain health.
It’s never too early or too late to take steps. Visit Brain Health Scotland's website for more information and take our five-minute brain health quiz.