Half of dementia cases could be prevented with simple lifestyle changes.
Lifestyle alterations can prevent half of dementia cases
A paper set for publication later this week is to reveal that it is more straightforward for people to protect themselves against the brain disease than many believe.
The Lancet Commission on Dementia is to list 14 lifestyle and environmental factors that can be changed to reduce the risk of the illness - including eating less, keeping active and exercising the brain.
The previous edition of the Lancet Commission was published in 2020 and listed 12 risk factors but the advancement in knowledge since has led to the addition of two more and a call for governments to intervene at an earlier stage to reduce the population's risk of the disease,
Hilary Evans-Newton, chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "People still think that dementia is inevitable - there is the idea that you are either going to get it or you are not, and there's nothing you can do about that.
"But there are things you can do all the way through your life to reduce your risk of dementia and allow you to live a longer, healthier life."