Dementia risk factors unknown to half of the population

According to a study by Alzheimer's Research UK, half of British adults can not identify any key risk factors for dementia.

The charity surveyed 2,361 people and found that only 1% were able to name the seven known risk or protective factors for dementia.

The six risk factors are high alcohol consumption, genetics, smoking, hypertension, depression and diabetes.

Physical exercise is a protective factor against the disease.

The study, titled Dementia Attitudes Monitor, found that more than half of British adults now know someone with dementia.

But only half recognized that dementia is a cause of death and one-fifth mistakenly believe that it is inevitably part of aging.

Although it is suspected that one-third of dementia cases are influenced by factors beyond our control, only 34% of those surveyed think that it is possible to reduce the risk of dementia, compared with 77% for heart disease and 81% for diabetes.

Hilary Evans, Executive Director of Alzheimer's Research UK, said that despite growing awareness of dementia, there was still a lot of misinformation.

"It's a sad truth that more people are affected by dementia than ever before and half of us now know someone with this disease," she said.

"Yet despite the growing awareness of dementia, we need to work harder to improve understanding of the diseases that cause it."

Dementia

• More than 850,000 people in the UK live with dementia.
• This number is expected to reach more than one million by 2025.
• Dementia is a generic term for a set of symptoms that affect cognitive function, such as memory loss, confusion, and personality change, which worsen over time.
• Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and accounts for about two-thirds of all cases.
• The risk of developing dementia in an individual is made up of different factors, including age, genetics, and lifestyle.

Source: Alzheimer's Research UK

Sue Strachan is 63 years old and lives in Herefordshire. She was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2014.

"I was not very fit when I was diagnosed with dementia and my doctor advised me to exercise to try to manage my condition," he said. she declared.

"I would have liked to start earlier because good heart health can have a positive impact on the brain.I can see that the vision of dementia is improving in society, but I still feel a misunderstanding. about the disease – not the least can be done to help. "

Sue organized the London Marathon last year for Alzheimer's Research UK to help raise awareness.

"Reducing the number of people who believe that dementia is an inevitable part of aging is key," said the charity, because "this belief is the driving force behind other negative attitudes to life. regard to dementia ".

"Our results show that those who believe that dementia is an inevitable part of aging are less likely to see the benefit of seeking a formal diagnosis, and are less likely to engage in research developments likely to result in life-changing treatments. "

The study revealed key groups of people with a reduced understanding of dementia, including people of Black, Asian and ethnic minority origin, as well as adults under 24 years of age and older. 65 years old.

There is currently no screening test for dementia, but the survey found that if a breakthrough had been made in the research, 85% would agree to take a test at their doctor before the symptoms manifested.