The risk of dementia depends more than lifestyle factors. Overestimating this can cause stigma and blame

As public awareness of dementia increases, appetite for prevention also does so. Global titles praise the advantages of exercise,, Diet, brain training and social activity in reducing the risk of dementia.

In recent years, medical reviews have amplified this message to encourage people to take control of their cognitive future by changing lifestyle. Last year, Lancet estimated Up to 45% of dementia in the world could theoretically be delayed or prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors.

These messages undeniably hope. They suggest that personal efforts, combined with emerging scientific evidence, can help overcome a Long -considered illness as inevitable.

But the public health messaging which focuses too closely on behavior can be misleading and potentially harmfulAs we support it in Lancet.

This can lead to a two -level system, where wealthy people are rented for their proactive brain health, while marginalized groups are faced with barriers to participation and are blamed for their perceived inaction.

What is dementia and what are the causes?

Dementia is a neurocognitive disorder And describes the conditions that affect memory, thought and ability to do daily tasks. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type, but there are others such as dementia in the vascular body and Lewy.

It happens when Brain cells are damaged And stop communicating properly. This can cause confusion, oblivion and changes in behavior or mood.

Dementia is linked to some of our deepest cultural fears: the limits of autonomy, dependence on others, stigma of being diagnosed and the unknown.

So what is increasing your risk of dementia? A few Risk factors cannot be changed. Age is the largest. Family history and some genes, such as APOE-E4, also increase the risks.

But many risk factors can be changed, which means that we can do something about them. Obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure increase your risk. Low levels of exercise or education can also increase the chances of developing dementia.

Find out more:
These 12 things can reduce the risk of your dementia – but many Australians do not know them all

Science behind prevention

The science of dementia prevention has evolved considerably over the past decade. Lifestyle tests, Finland,, France,, Australia And The United States Explore if diet, physical activity, cognitive training and cardiovascular risk (arterial, cholesterol, obesity and smoking) combinations can reduce the risk of dementia.

THE Finnish studyThe most widely mentioned of them have shown modest but significant cognitive advantages in the elderly at risk of dementia after a lifestyle intervention of two years.

Its success has stimulated a wave of studies similar worldwide (to date, Over 40 tests). Collectively, these trials provide a scientific basis for an increasingly popular public health message: brain health tomorrow is linked to healthy behavior today.

New dementia prevention possibilities are certainly promising. However, the translation of these results into wide public campaigns is the place where the emerging complexity and ethical tension.

The risk of dementia is linked to a socioeconomic disadvantage

The risk of dementia is also determined by a complex table of extrinsic factors – Conditions out of our control – which are unevenly distributed in society: air quality, ethnicity, sex, occupation, built environment.

These factors influence not only if, but when, dementia could develop.

The prevalence of dementia is disproportionately higher in communities faced with a social disadvantage in part because the modifiable risk factors such as diabetes, obesity and low education are also more common in these areas.

But there is another layer: access. The same communities at risk often lack of access even to interventions intended to reduce this risk.

Low -income neighborhoods can have less green spaceson hiking trailsOr Affordable and healthy foods. They are also faced with higher levels of pollution,, noise And chronic stress. All this can damage brain health.

Not everyone can access the types of healthy lifestyles to counter the risks of dementia. Telling people to eat a Mediterranean diet or reaching a gymnasium can be cold comfort for those who have no money, time, services or mobility.

Positioning dementia as something that people can also avoid risks involving dementia is something that individuals can fail To prevent. This could strengthen existing accounts that assimilate the disease in subsequent life bad choice of lifestyle rather than social inequalities.

So how can we do better?

First, prevention messaging must be supervised in a social and cultural context.

This means recognizing and processing obstacles such as food insecurity, lack of green space, stress of caregivers and the health system mistrust.

Messages must be co-created with communities, not imposed on them and have a Visual and motivating call.

Second, we must take individualistic accounts to collective responsibility. Brain health must be supported by public infrastructure, equitable access to care and culturally sensitive health.

Prevention does not only occur in the House. It also happens in nursery schools,, schools,, shopping centersClinics, parks and political rooms.

Finally, we have to reframe success. Dementia prevention is a worthy objective, but the same goes for dignity, inclusion and care for people who live with it. A fair approach to brain health should do both.

The next generation of dementia messages should not only be based on evidence, but also focused on actions. He should strive to educate without shame, to empower without excluding and to promote brain health in a way that honors the realities of aging.