Up to 45% of dementia risk can be prevented, delayed: WHO

• Up to 45% of dementia risk can be prevented or delayed by addressing factors like tobacco use, air pollution, physical inactivity, and managing diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
• Dementia affects over 57 million people worldwide, with Alzheimer’s disease causing 60-70% of cases, and no cure currently available, making prevention crucial.
• WHO updated guidelines promote early awareness, cognitive training, and integrated health services to reduce dementia’s impact and economic burden estimated at US$1.3 trillion annually.

GENEVA – Up to 45 per cent of dementia risk could be prevented or delayed, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on July 15, citing modifiable risk factors such as tobacco and air pollution.

Dementia is the seventh leading cause of death, and a major cause of disability and dependency among older people globally.

It is caused by brain diseases, and affects memory, thinking and the ability to function.

“While there is no cure for dementia, up to 45 per cent of the risks can be attributed to modifiable risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol use, social isolation, physical inactivity, air pollution and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including high blood pressure and diabetes,” the WHO said in a statement.

More than 57 million people live with dementia worldwide and nearly 10 million people get diagnosed every year, it said.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and is estimated to account for 60 per cent to 70 per cent of cases.

“Behind these numbers are individuals, families, and communities navigating profound challenges that affect not only health, but also dignity, independence and well-being,” said Devora Kestel, director of the WHO’s NCDs and mental health department.

“This is not a distant issue; it touches all of us,” she wrote in a foreword to updated WHO guidance published on July 15 on how health workers and policymakers can help prevent or delay the onset of dementia.

The UN health agency issued its first dementia recommendations in 2019, but said the evidence base had grown significantly since. The guidelines aim to promote early awareness and intervention in a bid to reduce the burden of dementia in the coming decades, it said.

Although more common after 65, the condition is not an inevitable part of ageing, the WHO insisted.

Focus on prevention

“We know more today than ever before about what drives dementia risk, and these guidelines translate that knowledge into action,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Countries now have clear, evidence-based recommendations they can put into practice immediately to protect people’s cognitive health.”

As there is no cure or widely accessible treatment for dementia, the guidelines emphasised that prevention remains the most effective strategy to reduce the number of cases.

Among other things, the WHO suggested cognitive stimulation and training for adults experiencing mild cognitive impairment.

The WHO said better management of conditions like hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol could also help reduce dementia risk.

It also recommended stronger integration of services for NCDs, mental health and brain health.

The WHO insisted investments in reducing the dementia risk would pay dividends, with the condition estimated to cost the global economy US$1.3 trillion (S$1.7 trillion) annually – around half of which is unpaid care provided by family and friends.

“Understanding risk factors and taking action to prevent dementia can improve health and quality of life, helping people live longer, healthier and more independent lives,” it said. AFP