Dementia is a global mental health epidemic that is approaching. According to the World Health Organization, there are several disorders that might cause this syndrome, which leads to a loss in cognitive functions by gradually destroying nerve cells and damaging the brain. People are living longer thanks to scientific, medical, and technological advancements, and the world’s ageing population is expanding at a never-before-seen rate. This increases the likelihood that there will be a bigger cohort of dementia patients.
“As the global population of older adults continues to rise, the number of people living with dementia is also expected to grow, reaching approximately 139 million dementia cases by the year 2050,” according to a recent report. As of 2023, there were more than 55 million people with dementia globally, according to the WHO.
The World Health Organization projects that the number of individuals 65 and older will treble to 2.1 billion by 2050. With about 10 million new cases per year, dementia is currently the seventh largest cause of mortality worldwide and one of the main causes of disability and reliance among older people, according to the WHO.
Psychologists and researchers are trying to stop the disorder from starting, even though there is no known cure, according to study released by the WHO in 2023.According to The Lancet Commission’s 2020 report, although age remains the largest known risk factor for dementia, researchers have discovered a group of 12 “potentially modifiable risk factors.”
- Air Pollution
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Excessive Alcohol Consumption
- Low Social Contact
- Diabetes
- Sedentary Lifestyle
- Depression
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Hearing Impairment
- Hypertension
- Low Education
“The 12 modifiable risk factors together account for approximately 40% of dementias worldwide, which consequently could theoretically be prevented or delayed,” the Lancet reports.
The study found that while socioeconomic status and educational attainment can influence dementia development, especially in the early stages of life, there are a number of other hazards that can be prevented.
As a result of the numerous vascular risk factors for dementia, Timothy Singham, a clinical psychologist and adjunct senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore, told the sources, “What we currently know is — what’s good for your heart is good for your brain.”
Accordingly, smoking, binge drinking, eating poorly, not getting enough sleep, and not getting enough exercise strain the brain and increase the chance of future cognitive deficits, just as these things put one’s heart at danger, added Singham.
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