Lancet Commission highlights three new dementia risk factors
01.08.20 Three new risk factors for dementia have been identified in an update to guidance here from the Lancet Commission on dementia risk reduction. The new risk factors are excessive alcohol consumption, head injury and air pollution, adding to the nine risk factors originally identified in 2017. By modifying lifestyles where possible up to 40% of dementia could be prevented or delayed. “Our report shows that it is within the power of policymakers and individuals to prevent and delay a significant proportion of dementia, with opportunities to make an impact at each stage of a person’s life,” said the report’s lead author Professor Gill Livingston from University College London. “Interventions are likely to have the biggest impact on those who are disproportionately affected by dementia risk factors, like those in low- and middle-income countries and vulnerable populations…