Early action can prevent nearly half of dementia cases

A groundbreaking report from the 2024 Lancet Commission reveals that nearly half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors throughout life, starting in childhood. These factors include high cholesterol and vision loss, along with previously identified risks like smoking, obesity, and depression.

The report emphasises the importance of early and continuous intervention, even for those with a high genetic predisposition to dementia. It highlights 13 key recommendations for individuals and governments, such as treating hearing loss, staying cognitively active, and reducing vascular risks.

Using England as a case study, new research within the report suggests that implementing population-level interventions could lead to significant economic savings—around £4 billion—by tackling risk factors like excessive alcohol use, air pollution, and high blood pressure. This underscores the substantial public health and economic benefits of early preventive measures.

The Lancet Commission's findings stress that reducing dementia risks not only increases healthy life years but also decreases the time people spend living with dementia. By adopting the recommended policy and lifestyle changes, millions of lives could be improved, and the global burden of dementia significantly reduced.

The lead author Professor Gill Livingston from University College London stated, "It is never too early or too late to take action, with opportunities to make an impact at any stage of life."