Out of all the health conditions we associate with getting older, dementia is perhaps the most feared.
But dementia is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. And while we don’t yet fully understand what causes it, research suggests that there are things you can do in mid-life to reduce your chances of developing the condition in later life.
It’s why Public Health England (PHE) has recently released guidance to promote healthy lifestyles that can reduce the risk of dementia.
What is dementia – and who gets it?
Technically, dementia isn’t one disease. It’s a group of symptoms that affect the brain (including memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language) which deteriorate over time. Around 850,000 people in the UK live with dementia. It’s not a natural part of ageing – and it isn’t usually hereditary.
There are different forms of dementia (which all have slightly different symptoms). The most common type is Alzheimer’s disease.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for dementia yet, which means people with the condition are…
