Looming global dementia crisis is avoidable: WHO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The World Health Organisation has released the first update of its guidelines on “Risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia” since 2019, bringing together years of subsequent global evidence on effective strategies.
The guidelines are a “vital step forward” in tackling a looming cognitive crisis, according to the leading Australian expert involved in drafting them.
The recommendations, aimed at clinicians, policy makers, and public health officials,
The WHO estimates upwards of 57m people around the world have dementia, costing the global economy an estimated US$1.3 trillion annually, and some 10m more are diagnosed each year.
Nearly half a million Australians live with the disease, a number tipped to breach 1 million unless significant action is taken.
The guidelines reinforce the message that close to half of future cases could be avoided by addressing common risk factors for chronic diseases and ensuring equity of access to preventative strategies through public health systems, education and healthy environments.
The guidelines are designed for health care providers and national policymakers, with the authors arguing that access to essential health services is a key part of dementia prevention.
The guidelines also highlight that some risk factors overlap with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Professor Kaarin Anstey, Director of the UNSW Ageing Futures Institute and Senior Principal Research Scientist at Neuroscience Research Australia, is the only Australian researcher on the WHO’s Guideline Development Group that produced the new guidance.
“These guidelines are the culmination of a systematic and wide-ranging review of the evidence we now have about the efficacy of a range of interventions that can reduce dementia risk,” said Professor Anstey.
“These recommendations offer real-life actions that will reduce dementia risk and promote brain health.
“They’re both practical and evidence-based but require the buy in of governments and public health systems to be truly effective.
“The guidelines reflect our understanding of dementia prevention across the life course, and the fact that brain health is something we need to consider as a lifelong commitment.
“We need to underline the message that many cases of dementia may be prevented, and these guidelines are a vital step forward in reinforcing that.”
Among the updated measures include the suggestion that cognitive training and stimulation maybe offered to older adults with normal cognition or minor cognitive impairment as a preventive strategy, and that the pursuit of social activities should be encouraged.
Well-established recommendations around alcohol reduction, cutting out smoking and undertaking physical exercise are reinforced, however the use of vitamin supplements as an anti-dementia device is not recommended.
Key Points:
- 57m people around the world suffer from dementia, and nearly half a million Australians
- Nearly half of future cases potentially preventable
- Health behaviour changes, public information campaigns key to reducing risks
- Public health systems must ensure equity of access to preventative strategies
- Social and economic factors that impact health, such as access to healthy food, clean air, and walkable environments, need to be addressed
- Risk factors often overlap with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
To read the updated guidelines, please click here [link]
Contact details:
Tom Melville
T: 0432 912 060
