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Dementia sufferers set to triple by 2050, but lifestyle changes – diet, exercise – and education can slow its growth, say experts
- Governments and drug makers are looking at ways to tackle the risk of dementia, the seventh leading cause of death worldwide
- Experts say ‘advisable changes in lifestyle’ – losing weight, lowering blood sugar levels, not smoking – could reduce the numbers
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Dementia will affect 153 million people globally in 2050, three times more than in 2019, according to a study that shows the rising stakes for public-health policy along with successful therapies from drug makers.
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The tripling of cases of cognitive illnesses that include Alzheimer’s disease is tied to national trends in risk factors including obesity, diabetes, low education and smoking, according to the Global Burden of Disease study.
Published in The Lancet Public Health journal, the analysis looked at 195 countries and territories.
Government and public-health officials are looking to design targeted policies to tackle the risk of debilitating dementia, the seventh leading cause of death worldwide.
Drug makers are also trying to design therapies to combat Alzheimer’s, such as Biogen’s Aduhelm, which hasn’t seen much uptake since its approval in June.
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