The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidelines for preventing dementia, stating that by improving modifiable risk factors, the global number of dementia patients could potentially be reduced by up to 45%.
According to a report published on September 8 by the science news website ScienceAlert, the causes and mechanisms of dementia are not fully understood. The term “dementia” encompasses a range of degenerative diseases that typically occur in old age, characterized by cognitive decline.
While the complex mechanisms of its onset are still being uncovered, scientists have gained increasing clarity on factors that can accelerate disease progression and exacerbate the risk of developing dementia.
However, this does not mean that everyone can avoid dementia; rather, taking early health actions may have the potential to delay or prevent some cases.
The core of these new guidelines is based on the research conducted by “The Lancet” Commission in 2024. The study estimated that approximately 45% of global dementia cases are associated with 14 modifiable risk factors. Improvements in these factors may lead to the postponement or even prevention of some cases.
These 14 factors include:
– Insufficient education, particularly limited early education opportunities.
– Hearing loss: early management of hearing problems can help reduce related risks.
– Hypertension
– Smoking
– Obesity
– Depression
– Lack of physical activity
– Diabetes
– Excessive alcohol consumption
– Head injuries
– Social isolation
– Air pollution
– High cholesterol
– Vision impairment
WHO points out that these risk factors tend to accumulate throughout life and interact with each other. Therefore, preventing dementia cannot rely solely on a single approach but requires a comprehensive focus on overall health.
Many of the preventive measures recommended by WHO for dementia are actually similar to those for maintaining heart health, including staying physically active, maintaining social connections, not smoking, avoiding excessive drinking, and controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight.
This is not a coincidence. Brain health is closely related to cardiovascular health, and caring for the heart often helps protect cognitive function.
WHO also emphasizes that hearing loss should not be ignored. In recent years, evidence linking hearing loss to dementia has been growing. A large clinical trial found that for older adults at higher risk of cognitive decline, hearing aids could slow the rate of decline by nearly 50%.
The exact reason why hearing loss is related to dementia is not yet fully understood. However, researchers believe that the additional cognitive effort required to process sound and the social isolation that hearing loss may cause could play a role.
It is important to note that the 45% figure is an estimate at the population level and does not guarantee a 45% reduction in risk for every individual. Even with efforts to improve lifestyle habits, there is no guarantee of completely avoiding dementia because its causes are complex, and factors such as age, genetics, and others can also influence risk.
Furthermore, not all factors related to dementia have been confirmed to be reducible through specific treatments. For example, vision issues are linked to dementia risk, but current evidence is insufficient to support vision impairment treatments as a dedicated dementia prevention strategy.
Sleep is also a similar case: quality sleep is crucial for overall health, and poor sleep quality is associated with dementia risk. However, there is currently not enough evidence to suggest that improving sleep or treating sleep disorders can specifically reduce dementia risk.
Some other risk factors are not easily addressed at the individual level.
For instance, one of the 14 identified risk factors highlighted in “The Lancet” is lower education levels in early life, which cannot be rectified decades later when dementia risk becomes a pressing concern.
WHO also explicitly states that it does not recommend taking vitamin B, vitamin E, Omega-3 supplements, or multivitamin-mineral supplements specifically to prevent dementia unless there is a diagnosed nutrient deficiency.
This is because there is currently no convincing evidence that these supplements can protect cognitive function, and high-dose intake of certain supplements may have adverse or harmful effects.
If you are looking for a “miracle cure” for preventing dementia or other “shortcuts,” it may be difficult to find. As the World Health Organization points out: “Addressing dementia risk factors requires a comprehensive approach because multiple risk factors often coexist and accumulate throughout the life course.”
For healthcare providers, this means devising personalized interventions and strategies for each individual.
WHO emphasizes that dementia is not entirely preventable but also not inevitable if all measures are taken. For individuals, this means striving to maintain as healthy a lifestyle as possible starting now.
With millions of people worldwide suffering from dementia, even if only a portion of potential cases can be prevented or delayed, it can have a significant impact.
Download the full report from the World Health Organization here.