To prevent dementia we need more than health care
What is it about?
There are a number of changes that individuals can make to reduce their risk of developing dementia. Health Care Professionals can identify and help you reduce risks such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, heart disease and the effects of obesity. Many risks are related to lifestyle and culture such as smoking, alcohol use, lack of exercise, obesity and high fat diets. Individuals with these risks need to change their behaviour to stop smoking and drinking, start exercising and lose weight. These are hard to do when there is little support, or when these habits are reinforced by family or the community and when there is little information available. When people are poor or have other health problems it is harder to find services and facilities that will help and do not cost. Often high sugar and high fat food is cheaper and more easily available and incentives to change behaviours don't exist. If more community and cultural support was available, promoting healthy choices, and access to exercise and information about risk reduction then health care professionals could link in with them to help individuals make changes.
Why is it important?
With the increase in older people in the population, the numbers who develop dementia is also increasing. We know that about 40% of dementia is preventable and that the processes that lead to dementia start at least 20 years before they are seen as symptoms. Action to reduce risks need to start at a much earlier age. A whole of life approach is needed to prevent dementia. This is similar to the messages for heart health, preventing diabetes, stroke and obesity. A range of societal, community and health strategies need to combine to increase the impact on the whole population. Health care professionals can then better monitor individuals with family histories of disease and tailor approaches to support them the reduce their risk.