Every other woman: understanding dementia risk

A third of men and one in two women over the age of 45 are likely to develop dementia or Parkinson’s or to have a stroke, according to recent research highlighting the impact of lifestyle changes.

Many of us understand that risk of cancer can be reduced by avoiding smoking, regular exercise and healthy eating. Yet less people are aware that these lifestyle changes can also help to reduce your risk of dementia, Parkinson’s and stroke.

The Dutch study involved over 12,000 people aged at least 45 and followed their health over 26 years. They found that men were more likely to have a stroke at a younger age than women. Yet women were twice as likely to be diagnosed with both dementia and stroke during their lifetime.

Encouragingly, the study reaffirmed that lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of developing these conditions. People who made healthy changes at age 45 reduced their lifetime risk by 20%, and this rose to over 50% for people aged over 85.

This underlines not only how lifestyle changes can reduce dementia, Parkinson’s and stroke risk, but also that it is never too late to start.