Dementia Education on Risk Inspires People in Midlife to Consider Healthier Lifestyles

Research in the UK is an encouraging step towards helping the public understand dementia risk and take preventative measures. Dementia charities in the UK have found that 75% of people would make changes in their lifestyles in order to decrease their risk of dementia later in life. A pilot study in England has developed a program on deliverable advice to adults age 40-64 regarding how to reduce their risk of dementia development.

This was on the heels of recent research indicating that dementia risk could be greatly reduced based on modification of nine major risk factors. Some charities are now urging for dementia risk reduction education to become part of mandatory health checks for middle aged adults. Middle adults are the target population because it appears that they have the greatest ability to modify risk factors and reduce their risk of dementia development later in life.

Research indicates that a lot of people think that dementia development is inevitable and cannot be managed. But findings indicate that simple lifestyle modifications such as not smoking or exercising regularly can make a great difference. Thus it is imperative to educate the public about minor steps they can take to reduce their risk later in life. It can make a big difference for public health in general and for individuals as well.