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The Lancet Commission: One Third of Dementia May Be Preventable | ||
By: PR Newswire Association LLC. - 20 Jul 2017 | Back to overview list |
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- The Lancet releases International Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care - - U.S. NIA shares inaugural research grants on health disparities in Alzheimer's - LONDON, July 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a report presented today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2017 (AAIC 2017) in London, The Lancet International Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care reported that more than one third of global dementia cases may be preventable through addressing lifestyle factors that impact an individual's risk. These potentially modifiable risk factors have been identified at multiple phases across the life-span, not just in old age. The Lancet Commission's report was simultaneously published in The Lancet and presented at AAIC 2017. Also at AAIC 2017, the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) announced inaugural research grants to investigate health disparities in Alzheimer's disease. "Today's findings are extremely hopeful," said Maria Carrillo, PhD, chief science officer at the Alzheimer's Association. "At an individual level, many people have the potential to reduce their risk of cognitive decline, and perhaps dementia, through simple, healthful behavior changes. At a public health level, interventions based on this evidence could be extremely powerful in managing the global human and economic costs of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias." The Alzheimer's Association offers 10 Ways to Love Your Brain, including practical guidance to reduce your dementia risk based on the latest research. The Lancet International Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care Among their key recommendations are:
Focus on Prevention
Risk factors that are more common account for a higher percentage of population risk. For instance, the authors estimate that eight percent (8%) of all dementia cases could be associated with poor early school education; and five percent (5%) could be associated with smoking. While the mechanism linking education, hypertension, diabetes and smoking to dementia is relatively well understood, the recognition of hearing loss as a potential risk factor is still new, and the research is at an earlier stage. The Commission's report delivered recommendations for targeted public health strategies that the researchers expect will significantly lower the global burden of Alzheimer's and other dementias. For example:
The authors stated that, due to lack of data, the study did not include dietary factors, alcohol use, visual impairment, air pollution and sleep. "While public health interventions will not prevent, or cure all potentially modifiable dementia, intervention for cardiovascular risk factors, mental health, and hearing may push back the onset of many people for years," said Professor Gill Livingston, MD, from University College London and lead author of The Lancet Commission. "Even if some of this promise is realized, it could make a huge difference and we have already seen in some populations that dementia is being delayed for years. Dementia prevalence could be halved if its onset were delayed by five years." According to the Commission's report, worldwide dementia prevalence could be reduced by more than 1 million cases with a 10 percent reduction in the prevalence of seven principal health and lifestyle factors. An intervention that delayed dementia by a year might decrease the number of people living with dementia globally by 9 million in 2050. "Overall, there is good potential for prevention and, once someone develops dementia, for care to be high-quality, accessible, and give value to an underserved, growing population. Effective dementia prevention and care could transform the future for society and vastly improve living and dying for individuals with dementia and their families. Acting now on what we already know can make this difference happen," said Lon Schneider, MD, from the University of Southern California and co-author of the Commission. Advancing health disparities research in Alzheimer's - National Institute on Aging inaugural grants The NIA has identified a clear need to diversify research cohorts and improve methods and tools for conducting health disparities research related to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Two funding opportunities were created to encourage research that examines disparities in Alzheimer's disease using diverse cohorts of subjects. At AAIC 2017, NIA will announce the inaugural grant recipients and their projects, and highlight the new information expected to be generated because of these awards. "Aging research using a framework that incorporate factors at multiple levels needs to be conducted with study populations that have robust demographic diversity," said Carl V. Hill, PhD, MPH, Director of the NIA Office of Special Populations. "When cohorts are diverse, new pathways that link environmental, sociocultural, behavioral and biological factors can be identified. This is our hope for these research awards." According to the funding opportunity announcements, health disparities populations include: Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Populations, and Rural Populations. Additional populations may include: Disability Populations, and Sex and Gender Minorities. About Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) About the Alzheimer's Association
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-lancet-commission-one-third-of-dementia-may-be-preventable-300488834.html SOURCE Alzheimer's Association |
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