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Millions of dementia cases could be prevented through simple lifestyle changes, world-leading experts say, as they unveil a definitive ‘roadmap’ to beat the disease.
In a major new consensus report, scientists set out 56 evidence-based recommendations aimed at slashing dementia risk – from tackling hearing loss, high blood pressure and social isolation, to improving public health messaging, addressing environmental stressors and securing sustained funding for prevention.
The panel is now calling on the Government to urgently reassess its approach to dementia care, warning that without a coordinated national strategy, millions of avoidable cases will continue to develop.
Dr Harriet Demnitz-King, the study’s lead author from Queen Mary University of London, said the science on dementia prevention is already clear – but has yet to be translated into meaningful policy.
She said: ‘We know dementia risk can be reduced, but the evidence has not yet been transformed into a coherent governmental strategy.
‘People need clear, evidence-based guidance on protecting their brain health, but the information they receive can be confusing or make them feel blamed.
‘What we need now is coordinated, structural action to develop dementia prevention policies that are equitable, realistic and grounded in the lives people actually lead.’
The review builds on findings from the 2024 Lancet Commission, which identified 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia and concluded that almost half of all Alzheimer’s cases could be prevented.
These include high cholesterol, untreated hearing and vision loss, physical inactivity, social isolation and long-term exposure to air pollution – factors the authors say are still not being tackled seriously enough at a population level.
Publishing their findings in the journal Nature Reviews Neurology, the researchers said: ‘In the absence of a cure or wide access to effective treatments, prevention is key to addressing the increasing impact of dementia.’
Professor Charles Marshall, a study co-author, said urgent action was needed given dementia is now the leading cause of death in the UK.
He said: ‘We desperately need a clear public health plan to improve this situation.
‘We hope this consensus will lead to better public messaging about dementia, improved recognition and management of conditions that increase dementia risk, a strategy on structural approaches to improving brain health, and research that addresses gaps in our knowledge about how best to do all this.
‘Implementing our recommendations will ensure that as many people as possible live to old age without dementia.’
The panel said prevention efforts work best when public health messages focus on risk factors people can act on, and for which there is strong evidence that change can reduce dementia risk.
They argued that clear, direct messaging – such as ‘Losing weight could reduce the risk of dementia’ – is more effective than vague warnings or technical language, and avoids people feeling blamed or overwhelmed.
Experts also recommended using the term ‘dementia’ rather than focusing on specific subtypes such as Alzheimer’s disease, to improve public understanding.
They warned against waiting for a future cure, saying national action is needed now.
‘We cannot afford to wait for trials that might never materialise,’ the report said.
The findings highlight social isolation, high blood pressure and hearing loss as the most powerful targets for prevention, echoing previous Lancet research.
As a result, the authors are calling for universal access to hearing aids, action to reduce harmful noise exposure, and improved detection and treatment of high cholesterol in over-40s – measures they say could dramatically reduce dementia rates in future generations.
Around 900,000 people are currently living with dementia in the UK, a figure expected to rise to more than 1.6 million by 2040. Dementia is the leading cause of death, accounting for more than 74,000 deaths a year.
An estimated 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and over are living with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
This is projected to reach nearly 14 million by 2060, with around 120,000 deaths a year attributed to Alzheimer’s alone.
The news comes as dementia patients face a stark postcode lottery of care across the UK, with the NHS failing to hit diagnosis targets in more than half of the country, damning figures reveal.
The Daily Mail launched its Defeating Dementia campaign in December after shocking statistics showed the disease remains the nation’s biggest killer, accounting for one in nine deaths and claiming around 76,000 lives each year.
The campaign, run in association with the Alzheimer’s Society, aims to boost early diagnosis, raise awareness of prevention, increase research funding and improve care for patients and families.
Despite its devastating impact, dementia patients suffer what charities describe as a ‘cruel injustice’, with many facing high care costs, patchy support and no drugs available on the NHS to slow, cure or prevent the disease.
At the same time, dementia receives far less research funding than other major illnesses such as cancer, despite costing the UK economy an estimated £42 billion a year.
Charities have also warned progress could stall further after dementia was removed from official NHS planning guidance this year, effectively signalling it should be deprioritised.
