Two NEW causes of dementia discovered – as scientists warn, 14 lifestyle factors could prevent half of all cases

HALF of dementia cases could be prevented with 14 healthy habits, say leading experts.

The 2024 Lancet Commission, led by leading medical journal The Lancet, added lowering cholesterol and wearing glasses as two new potential causes to its latest advice.

Other important measures include eating healthy, staying slim, exercising regularly, drinking less and not smoking.

Almost a million Britons have dementia and it is the leading cause of death.

The report suggests that thousands of people could be protected in the future with healthier lives.

He said rates appear to already be falling in Britain due to lifestyle improvements.

More could be done to reduce dementia

Lead author Professor Gill Livingston, from University College London, said: “Our report reveals that there is much more that can and should be done to reduce the risk of dementia.

“It is never too early or too late to act.”

The report states that some efforts, such as good education, regular exercise and wearing helmets in risky sports, could be started in childhood for lifelong benefits.

The Commission increased the number of recommendations from 12 to 14 in 2020.

He said they are a mix of personal habits that people can change and things under government control, such as reducing air pollution.

The new additions – high cholesterol and uncorrected vision loss – are associated with about nine percent of cases.

Dementia is not an inevitable part of aging

Dr. Susan KohlhaasAlzheimer’s research in the UK

Professor Charles Marshall, from Queen Mary University of London, said: “It is vital that as a society we develop measures to keep people’s brains as healthy as possible, especially as dementia is now the leading cause of death.”

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Dementia is not an inevitable part of aging and it is crucial to find ways to stop people developing it.

“The good news is that this provides a huge opportunity to implement measures that keep our brains healthy.

“Many of these factors are things that individuals can do something about, like smoking, but others, like air pollution and early childhood education, are bigger than individuals and communities.

“Addressing them will require structural changes in society to give everyone the best chance at a healthy life.”