Dementia tool aims to cut risk at any age

As reported by the BBC, people of all ages are being encouraged to do more to look after their brains to try to reduce their dementia risk

A new brain check-up tool from Alzheimer’s Research UK offers tips on staying sharp, keeping active and connecting with others.

Getting regular hearing checks in your 40s and 50s is one way to prevent social isolation, it says.

But most cases of dementia cannot be prevented, so early detection and better treatments are still vital.

Research suggests there are 12 risk factors for dementia which, if modified, could stop four in 10 people developing memory loss, confusion and communication problems.

Advice based on these risk factors is to stop smoking, do regular exercise, cut back on alcohol and challenge your brain – and it is never to early or too late to start doing it, experts say.

Anyone can take the brain check, which has been based on the latest research, to find out how to lower their individual chances of dementia.

But it is particularly aimed at adults aged 40-50 because this is seen to be an important window for taking action to look after brain health.

Prof Jonathan Schott, chief medical officer at the charity, said it would “provide a practical and easy means to allow people to take action to reduce their risk of dementia”.

But he said only a third of people realised that was possible, which needed changing.