Dementia affects more than 425,000 Australians, but new guidelines set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO), aim to reduce a person's risk of getting the disease.
Getting regular exercise, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, controlling weight, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels can all help stop the onset of the disease that around 30 per cent of people aged over 85 are currently living with.
“In the next 30 years, the number of people with dementia is expected to triple,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“We need to do everything we can to reduce our risk of dementia. The scientific evidence gathered for these guidelines confirm what we have suspected for some time, that what is good for our heart, is also good for our brain.”
WHO hopes the guidelines will help health professionals better advise patients on what they can do to help prevent cognitive decline and dementia. They also hope the guidelines will assist governments and policy makers in their efforts to design programs that encourage healthy lifestyles.
