The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said up to 45 per cent of dementia cases could be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors, as it unveiled updated global guidelines to help countries reduce the growing burden of the condition.
The UN health agency released the updated recommendations on Wednesday, saying the guidance provides countries with evidence-based measures to prevent or delay cognitive decline and dementia across the life course.
According to the WHO, more than 57 million people worldwide are living with dementia, while nearly 10 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Alzheimer’s disease remains the most common form of dementia, accounting for an estimated 60 to 70 per cent of all cases.
Although there is no cure for dementia, the organisation said a significant proportion of cases are linked to risk factors that can be modified. These include tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, air pollution, social isolation and non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.
Speaking on the updated guidelines, the WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said advances in research had improved understanding of the factors driving dementia risk, enabling countries to take practical steps to protect brain health.
