New focus on reducing dementia risk demanded by health sector

Two major healthcare sector organisations have called on the government to make measures to reduce the risk of dementia a major new policy focus.

The UK Health Forum and Public Health England have published a joint consensus statement in Blackfriars, London urging action to tackle smoking, drinking, sedentary behaviour and poor diet, all of which can improve brain health and reduce the risk of dementia in later life.

Signed by 59 organisations and experts from across the dementia and public health community, the Blackfriars Consensus Statement notes that scientific evidence on dementia has progressed to the point where action to incorporate dementia risk reduction into health policies and to raise wider awareness of contributory factors is justified.

This move coincides with Dementia Awareness Week and will help to improve understanding that dementia is just as amenable to risk reduction as other non-communicable diseases.

Dr Charles Alessi, senior advisor and dementia prevention lead at Public Health England, said: "Public health programmes have contributed to a big decline in deaths from heart disease and stroke over the past 50 years – we now need to achieve the same on dementia."

There are around 800,000 people currently living with dementia in the UK, making it one of the top three causes of disability in later life.