An estimated 45% of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented entirely by tackling 14 risk factors, including high cholesterol and vision loss, a landmark report has concluded.1
The 2024 Lancet Commission report, written by 27 of the world’s leading dementia experts, calls for action to tackle these risk factors to begin in childhood and continue throughout life. It adds that risk is modifiable irrespective of apolipoprotein E genetic status.
Twelve risk factors were identified in an earlier 2020 report—lower levels of education, hearing impairment, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, air pollution, and social isolation. These are linked to 36% of all dementia cases, the latest report says.
The updated report adds two new risk factors (see box) saying there is “new compelling evidence” that untreated vision loss and high low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are risk factors for dementia. About 7% of cases are linked to high levels of LDL in midlife from around 40 years of age and 2% of cases are attributable to untreated vision loss in later life, it estimates.
Lead author Gill Livingston, from University College London, said, “It’s never too early or too late to take action, with opportunities to make an impact at any stage of life. …
