A new report indicates that tackling 14 lifestyle and environmental risk factors from an early age could prevent almost 50% of dementia cases globally. Highlighting new risks like high LDL cholesterol and vision loss, the report calls for urgent, broad-spectrum preventive measures to curb the dementia epidemic. The 2024 Lancet Commission report identifies vision loss and high cholesterol as new risk factors for dementia, adding to 12 others previously known.
It emphasizes the importance of early and lifelong management of these factors, including for those with a genetic predisposition to dementia. The report provides 13 recommendations targeting both individuals and governments to mitigate risk. These include managing hearing and vision loss, maintaining cognitive and social activity, using head protection in sports, managing vascular risks like cholesterol and diabetes, improving air quality, and fostering supportive communities.
Research focusing on England indicates that implementing these measures could save about £4 billion by addressing risk factors such as excessive alcohol consumption, brain injuries, air pollution, smoking, obesity, and hypertension. According to the third Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care, addressing 14 modifiable risk factors from childhood and continuing throughout life could prevent or delay nearly half of dementia cases. This is crucial as global life expectancy increases and the number of dementia cases is proje.