Hundreds of thousands of dementia cases could be stopped if people took more steps to prevent them, new data suggests.
Regular hearing tests, seven hours of sleep a night and more exercise are among 12 lifestyle factors that can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 40 percent.
But only a third of Brits know there are things they can do to keep dementia at bay, according to new data from Alzheimer’s Research UK.
And only one in 50 people make major efforts to ward off the disease, a survey found.
Regular hearing tests, seven hours of sleep a night and more exercise are among 12 lifestyle factors that can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 40 percent
Experts have suggested that simple steps – such as hearing tests in our 30s and 40s – could help reduce rates of dementia and have called for brain health to be a bigger part of the NHS health check.
The charity is launching an online survey for people to see how they are doing with modifiable risk factors and what they can do now to improve their chances of avoiding them in the future.
Around 900,000 people in the UK and 7 million in the US suffer from dementia, an umbrella term used for various brain disorders that affect memory, thinking and cognition.
In 2020, the Lancet Commission concluded that up to 40 percent of cases could be prevented or delayed by targeting 12 modifiable risk factors, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.
With cases expected to rise by 75 percent by 2050, a survey of more than 2,000 people found that only 2 percent of the public are taking the necessary steps to reduce risks as much as possible.
For example, hearing loss was associated with five modifiable risk factors, including social isolation, depression, physical inactivity/obesity, and brain injury from falls.
Previous research found that hearing aid wearers had a 50 percent lower risk of mild cognitive impairment than those who did not use them, while another study showed that they could reduce the progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia by 27 percent.
Yet the stigma attached to hearing aids and difficult access means that most people who need them still do not use them.
The latest survey found that 35 percent of respondents said they were concerned about their hearing, but six in 10 (59 percent) said they had done nothing about it.
DR Sarah Bauermeister, senior scientist at Dementia Platforms UK, said hearing tests needed to be standardized and “made more accessible, affordable and user-friendly for the hearing impaired”.
“Regular hearing tests are very important at all levels of the population and throughout life, so it’s normal to have a hearing test done whether you’re in your 30s or 40s.
“And if we normalize hearing tests, the wearing of hearing aids will be normalized and the stigma around wearing hearing aids will be reduced.”
Less than a third (31 percent) of the public said they get the recommended seven hours of sleep a night – the recommended amount for good brain health.
And more than a third of people say they don’t challenge their brains on a regular basis: 32 percent do so occasionally and 4 percent rarely.
Scientists hope that by raising awareness of risk factors – which change with age – people can take steps to reduce their chances of getting the disease.
Professor Jonathan Schott, chief medical officer of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the disease had become people’s “biggest fear” of aging.
More and more people are undergoing genetic testing, he said, which accounts for the remaining 60 percent of cases.
Still, greater public awareness of lifestyle changes could reduce the number of cases by tens of thousands a year, he suggests.
He said: “Dementia is the most feared consequence of aging today and that is why people want to know what they are doing to manage their risk.
“People come to us, people go out and get their genes done, which of course they can’t change, and then ask what they can do to change the risk.
“We can explain the fact that many of the risk factors mentioned – blood pressure, smoking, etc. – risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer used as part of the public health message.
“It empowers individuals to know that there are things they can do and that’s why this tool was created.”
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
Dementia is a generic term used to describe a range of neurological disorders
A WORLDWIDE CARE
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders (affecting the brain) that affect memory, thinking and behaviour.
There are many forms of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common.
Some people have a combination of different forms of dementia.
Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person experiences dementia in their own unique way.
Dementia is a global problem, but it is most common in wealthier countries where people are likely to live to a very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ASKED?
The Alzheimer’s Association reports that there are more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK today. By 2040, this number is expected to rise to 1.6 million.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 percent of people diagnosed.
There are an estimated 5.5 million people with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. A similar percentage increase is expected for the coming years.
The risk of developing dementia also increases with age.
Diagnosis rates are improving, but many people with dementia are believed to remain undiagnosed.
IS THERE A MEDICINE?
There is currently no cure for dementia.
But new drugs can slow its progression, and the earlier it’s caught, the more effective treatments can be.
Source: Alzheimer’s Association
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
