45% of dementia cases could be prevented - WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled updated global guidelines aimed at helping countries combat the growing burden of dementia, asserting that up to 45% of cases could be prevented by tackling controllable risk factors. The UN health agency released the evidence-based recommendations on Wednesday, offering countries practical measures to delay or prevent cognitive decline throughout life.

Globally, over 57 million individuals are living with dementia, and approximately 10 million new cases are diagnosed each year, according to the WHO. Alzheimer's disease accounts for the majority of these cases, estimated between 60% and 70%. While a cure for dementia remains elusive, the organization emphasizes that a substantial portion of cases are linked to risk factors that individuals and societies can modify.

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We know more today than ever before about what drives dementia risk, and these guidelines translate that knowledge into action.

These modifiable risk factors encompass a range of lifestyle and environmental elements. They include tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, exposure to air pollution, social isolation, and the management of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. By addressing these factors, the WHO suggests a significant impact can be made on dementia prevention and delay.

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus stated that recent research advancements have deepened the understanding of dementia risk drivers, empowering countries to take concrete actions for brain health protection. "We know more today than ever before about what drives dementia risk, and these guidelines translate that knowledge into action," he said, adding that the recommendations are clear and ready for immediate implementation to safeguard cognitive health.

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Mr Ghebreyesus added that countries now have clear, evidence-based recommendations that they can implement immediately to protect people’s cognitive health.