Dementia prevention strategies could save £1.9bn annually

Programmes to reduce dementia risk by targeting smoking, high blood pressure and hearing loss are likely to be cost-effective and cost saving by reducing dementia rates by 8.5%, finds a new study by UCL and LSE researchers. The modelling study, published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity , found that the benefits would outweigh the costs of such programmes, and could save £1.86 billion each year in England. Lead author Dr Naaheed Mukadam (UCL Psychiatry and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust) said: "It is becoming increasingly clear that dementia can be prevented in many cases by addressing various health factors throughout the lifespan. As the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to 131 million worldwide by 2050, there is an urgent need to develop evidence-based interventions to prevent dementia, or delay it to enable more years of healthy life. "Here, we have found that dementia prevention strategies can be cost-effective and cost saving, and should be implemented to reduce the societal burden of dementia." The findings are based on extensive evidence, including from studies led by this study's researchers, finding that 12 risk factors can be modified across the life course to prevent 40% of dementia cases. For the present study, the team reviewed evidence to find effective interventions for individuals targeting some of the dementia risk factors. The interventions included nicotine gum to help older adults quit smoking, medication to treat high blood pressure in mid-life, and hearing aids for people with moderate hearing loss in mid-life.