Almost half of dementia cases could be prevented, says study

 A study has found that nearly half of all cases of dementia are avoidable with lifestyle changes, but public health campaigns have proven to be ineffective at driving change.

The review of a dozen national, population-level awareness campaigns targeting modifiable risk factors like physical inactivity, smoking, low education, and social isolation – published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity journal – has found they have broad reach, but deliver only marginal benefits.

The researchers behind the work, from Curtin University in Australia, say that more engaging, personalised, and community-driven approaches are needed to genuinely influence behaviour and reduce dementia risk.

The results of the analysis reveal "a clear gap between what people know and what they do," according to the researchers, led by Professor Mario Siervo from Curtin's School of Population Health.

"Up to 45% of dementia cases are linked to modifiable factors we can change, such as our lifestyle, health status, and environment," he said. "But simply telling people what those risks are isn't enough; awareness campaigns are important, but on their own they rarely lead to meaningful or lasting behaviour change."

Interventions requiring active engagement – such as online courses, e-learning programmes, and community-based approaches – produce stronger behavioural effects than passive information-only approaches.

When combined with personalised risk profiling showing individuals how their lifestyle affects their dementia risk, the approach could deliver a 26% improvement in modifiable risk factor status over three years, they suggest.

Body composition study

In a separate study, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, Siervo and colleagues explored other modifiable risk factors for dementia, specifically muscle strength and body composition.

They followed nearly 500,000 adults with sarcopenic obesity - defined as the combination of excess body fat and low muscle mass and strength - for more than a decade, and found a 30% increased risk of dementia, while obesity on its own was not associated with increased dementia risk if muscle strength was preserved.

Study co-author Prof Blossom Stephen, chair in dementia at Curtin's enAble Institute, said the results provide further evidence that dementia risk is modifiable, and not an unavoidable part of ageing.

However, "even when people are aware of the risks, barriers such as time, cost, and motivation can prevent them from making changes to their lifestyle," she added.

"We need to combine broad public messaging with targeted support that helps people take action. That means investing in programmes that are accessible, culturally relevant, and designed with communities, not just delivered to them."

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