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As people live longer, the number of individuals who live with dementia continues to rise. A recently released report shows that modifying 14 risk factors, including two new factors, might prevent or delay nearly half of dementia cases. Read on to learn about these factors and for tips to reduce your risk.
By Alzheimer's Prevention Bulletin
The 2024 update of the Lancet Commission on dementia provides new insights into the risk factors for the condition and provides hopeful evidence on how prevention can mitigate risk. The report, led by 27 world-leading dementia experts, details the modifiable risk factors that can be addressed starting in childhood and continuing throughout life.
The 14 risk factors
After the evaluation of the latest research and evidence, the 2024 report adds two new risk factors, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also commonly known as “bad cholesterol,” and vision loss.
“For these new factors, the most interesting evidence was that treating them removed the excess risk, specifically taking statins in midlife to lower LDL cholesterol and treating cataracts later in life to improve eyesight,” explains Professor Gill Livingston, MD, Division of Psychiatry, University College London and lead author on the report.
Evidence shows that by tackling these two new factors, in addition to the 12 noted in the Lancet Commission’s 2020 report, might prevent or delay 45% of dementia cases. Those initial risk factors are lower levels of education, hearing loss, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, air pollution and social isolation.
“Making changes will improve your quality of life immediately, giving you a longer, healthier life,” shares Dr. Livingston. “Some people will still get dementia, but fewer, and those who do will have it at an older age for a shorter period of time.”
Reduce your risk through prevention efforts
The goal: Aim to decrease risk factor levels early, the earlier the better, and maintain them through your life, the longer the better. But it’s never too early or too late to reduce risk. And, for the first time, it’s clear that risk can be modified even in people with increased genetic risk for dementia.
What can you do to reduce your risk? The report offers tips including:
“You will not have all the risk factors, so think about what you do have and start there – even a little bit at a time will make a difference,” explains Dr. Livingston. “For example, if you go to an exercise class or walking group, it may help with lack of exercise, social isolation and blood pressure.”
The report highlights that it isn’t just the individual who should take responsibility for prevention, but also governments who can support these practices at a policy level.
“The importance of these efforts cannot be overstated for those in low- and middle-income areas and socio-economically disadvantaged groups,” shares Dr. Livingston. “These are the people who stand to benefit the most from prevention as they tend to have more risk factors, and people without economic resources will find living with dementia the most difficult.”
Help future dementia research
Research is critical to evolve our understanding of dementia which will help identify additional ways we can reduce or delay onset, and develop better and earlier treatments.
“I think it is crucial to have ongoing dementia research,” says Dr. Livingston. “Generally, people do not want to be ill but in particular to have dementia because of the loss of their memory and independence, which makes it important to individuals. For society, if nothing changes, there will be more dementia as the population continues to age. This means huge costs for family caregivers, and societal and economic costs. As the number of younger people is reducing, the care needed may become unsustainable.”
How can you help? Share the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry with friends and family. Many studies are looking for healthy adults so please check out the latest studies listed on the Registry.
