Steps to Prevent Dementia
What are you doing to prevent dementia? Yes, you can reduce your risk!
An influential report, the Lancet Commission Report of Dementia Prevention, updated in 2024, details 14 risk-reducing steps. I have 3 steps to add to that list.
Why bother?
Dementia is a big problem that you don’t want to get:
- It affects a large number of people, and it is devastating. Over age 65, there are 1 in 14 people with dementia, and for over 80’s it rises to 1 in 6.
- Women are twice as likely to suffer.
- Dementia is currently the most important contributor to death in the United Kingdom, ahead of heart disease and stroke.
What do you need to do?
Tackle the problems: these 17 risk factors are all modifiable and allow you to reduce your risk of dementia by at least 50%, and at the minimum, delay the onset. Worth doing, don't you think? Addressing some personal weaknesses, keeping slim and active with all your health issues under optimum control will make the difference.
The risk factors fall into 5 groups, 4 you can work on ie poisons, social isolation, lifestyle medical issues, major medical metabolic problems, and the public health issues that are less controllable. The additional steps are taking HRT/TRT, perfect oral hygiene and shingles control.
