Two new risk factors for dementia have been named which if eliminated, along with others, could theoretically prevent nearly half of cases worldwide.
That's according to a major report published by the Lancet on Wednesday, which estimated the number of people living with dementia globally could more than double to 153 million by 2050.
Dementia is a term for a group of symptoms caused by disorders affecting the brain.
Researchers listed levels of low-density lipoprotein — also known as "bad" cholesterol — and untreated vision loss as newly identified risk factors. They were labelled mid- and later-life risk factors respectively.
They are also what researchers call potentially modifiable risk factors, which could be altered, managed or avoided. However, doing so might not always be simple and public health interventions may be required.
Some 45 per cent of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing these two risk factors and an additional 12 that were previously identified, according to the report. They are: hearing loss, depression, smoking, high blood pressure, heavy alcohol consumption, obesity, air pollution, brain injury, diabetes, social isolation, physical inactivity, and a lack of education.
"The number of people living with dementia is set to increase in all countries, and policy makers should prioritise resources to enable risk reduction to prevent or delay dementia and interventions to improve symptoms and life for people with dementia and their families," the report says.
The authors acknowledged that non-modifiable factors such as genetics and age, which are beyond our control, are also key risk factors.
What is dementia and how common is it?
Dementia is not one specific disease but rather an umbrella term for a group of symptoms caused by disorders affecting the brain that can impact memory, speech, thought, personality, behaviour, and mobility.
It is a degenerative, terminal illness.
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Dementia Australia estimates more than 421,000 Australians live with dementia.
It's the second leading cause of death in Australia and the main cause of death for women.
A recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare study commissioned by Dementia Australia unless there was a medical breakthrough.
Preventing dementia
Lead author of the research Gill Livingston said despite many people believing dementia is "inevitable", it's not.
"Our report concludes that you can hugely increase the chances of not developing dementia or pushing back its onset," she told The Guardian newspaper.
"It's also important to stress that while we now have stronger evidence that longer exposure to risk has a greater effect … it's never too early or too late to take action."
Others are more cautious in their assessment of the report's findings.
But Professor Tara Spires-Jones, director of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, told the BBC the research could not conclusively link the modifiable factors directly to dementia.
And Professor Charles Marshall, from Queen Mary University London, told the BBC that suggesting people with dementia could have avoided it if they'd made different lifestyle should be avoided. He said for the most part, it was outside of their control.
