Guidance
Dementia in older age: barriers to primary prevention and factors
Evidence review showing that changing some behaviours in midlife can reduce the chances of getting dementia in older age.
Documents
Details
These documents help commissioners and researchers make decisions about prioritisation of primary prevention measures relevant to dementia.
This review, by the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (2016), shows that there is evidence that the risk of dementia is increased by:
- physical inactivity
- current smoking
- diabetes
- hypertension in mid-life
- obesity in mid-life and depression
It also shows that mental activity can reduce the risk of dementia.
To promote primary prevention of dementia, it is important to understand both the barriers to primary prevention and factors which facilitate primary prevention.
Updates to this page
Published 28 July 2017