Addressing 12 proven dementia risk factors could delay, slow the progression or even prevent up to 40 percent of dementia cases, accounting for 55.6 million cases worldwide by 2050.

This year alone, nearly 50,000 news stories have been published worldwide that refer to dementia and nutrition, often leading to vague advice for the general population to follow.

The new global report aims to cut through that noise and provide a clearer and more detailed analysis of how individuals – and governments – can address the risk of dementia in specific ways.

It is never too early and never too late to reduce your risk of dementia. Risk reduction can help people both before and after diagnosis.

The above points out the Panhellenic Federation of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders on the occasion of today’s World Alzheimer’s Day.

The Alzheimer’s World Report 2023, entitled ‘Reducing the risk of dementia: never too early, never too late’, released today, focuses on reducing the risk of dementia as practice, not theory. The report draws on information from around 90 high-profile researchers, health professionals, policy makers, people living with dementia and informal carers to help readers understand dementia risk in a holistic and easy-to-read way.

In 2020, the Lancet journal compiled a list of 12 proven modifiable risk factors for dementia (smoking, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption, air pollution, head injury, social isolation, low level of education, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, depression and hearing problems ), the treatment of which could delay, slow the progression or prevent up to 40% of dementia cases worldwide.

The Panhellenic Federation of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders and the Alzheimer’s Disease World Association (ADI), the international federation for more than 100 national associations for Alzheimer’s disease, emphasize that while coverage of the latest research developments is important, the sheer volume of stories, often without context, it makes it difficult for concerned individuals to make well-informed lifestyle changes.

“Nearly 200 stories are published every day about dementia diets, pointing to the latest research on everything from blueberries to champagne. The reality is that the debate is much more nuanced than that. How many blueberries, for how long and when to start? Is alcohol generally bad for brain health, or do the benefits of moderate, social consumption outweigh the negatives? It can confuse the public to understand the information and make clear choices to help manage their risk of developing dementia,” says Paola Barbarino, CEO of ADI.

While stories about miracle substances represent minor differences, regional views are a piece of the puzzle that we are still missing. Recommended dietary guidelines, such as the Mediterranean or MIND diets, often heralded as diets to save brain health, fail to adapt to the products available in local societies as well as cultural factors.

Research shows that people can have brain damage for decades before symptoms become apparent. However, reducing exposure to risk factors, both before and after diagnosis, can delay, slow the progression, or even prevent predicted cases of dementia.

Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. Currently, 55 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with this disease, which two-thirds of people still mistakenly believe is a normal part of aging.

Reducing risk even after diagnosis can also help slow the progression of dementia in people already living with a diagnosis. It is therefore imperative that information and advice is clear and understandable and that suggested lifestyle changes are accessible and affordable to all.

Developments in dementia drugs

Despite recent drug advances, which have given hope to many people around the world that we may be getting ever closer to finding a cure, we are still a long way from the goal of universal, affordable treatments for all types of dementia.

The President of the Panhellenic Federation of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, Mrs. Magda Tsolaki, emphasizes that “despite the hope created by the new drugs under approval in Europe, they are aimed at people with mild mental disorders and mild dementia of the Alzheimer’s type, delaying the progression of the disease and are not her treatment. However, even if in the future a drug is found that will cure the disease, prevention will always be our most important tool, so that we do not get sick and need medication.”

The message of the Panhellenic Alzheimer’s Federation and ADI is: “Take into account, where you can, the 12 modifiable risk factors for dementia, manage your personal level of dementia risk and support government intervention where individual behavioral changes are not enough.”

“It is never too early and never too late to take steps to reduce your personal risk of developing dementia,” Ms Barbarino points out in the report.

“Reducing risk is a lifelong endeavor and is most effective when awareness and understanding of how to maintain a healthy brain begins at a young age and continues after diagnosis.”