Reducing excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, head shocks and air pollution would have a positive impact on the prevention of dementia.
According to the World Health Organization, 50 million people have dementia worldwide. (pretext photo)
KEYSTONE
About 40% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by reducing a dozen risk factors, according to a report. These include excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, head shocks and air pollution.
The authors of the document, a group of experts, therefore formulate a series of recommendations to policy makers, including limiting alcohol consumption, stopping smoking, reducing obesity and diabetes or reducing exposure to pollution. air.
“Our report shows that policymakers and individuals have the power to prevent or delay a significant proportion of dementia cases,” said lead author Prof. Gill Livingston of University College London, quoted in a press release from the medical journal The Lancet, which publishes the report Thursday.
“These actions are likely to have the biggest impact on those who are disproportionately affected by risk factors for dementia, such as people in low and middle income countries and vulnerable populations, including ethnic minorities,” continued -she.
50 million people affected
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 50 million people have dementia worldwide, with 60 to 70% of cases caused by Alzheimer’s disease. This number tends to increase as we live longer and longer.
WHO estimates that the total number of people with dementia is expected to climb to 82 million in 2030 and 152 million by 2050, largely due to the increase in the number of cases in low- and middle-income countries .
Binge drinking, head injuries, and exposure to air pollution in adulthood are associated with 1%, 3% and 2% of dementia cases, respectively. .
The other factors are education conditions (7%), hearing loss (8%), hypertension (2%), obesity (1%), smoking (5%), depression ( 4%), social isolation (4%), physical inactivity (2%) and diabetes (1%).
(ATS / NXP)
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