With this week’s Intergenerational Report 2021 predicting dementia will be the leading cause of death in Australia, dementia is something that can no longer be ignored.
Researchers at the Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa, the Bruyère Research Institute and ICES in Canada have developed an online calculator for people aged over 55 to help them understand how they can reduce the risk of being diagnosed with dementia in the next five years.
This is the first tool designed to predict dementia, which refers to loss of memory and other thinking abilities that interferes with daily life, on a population level.
The exact number of people with dementia in Australia is currently unknown. It is estimated that in 2020, there are between 400,000 and 459,000 Australians with dementia with Alzheimer’s Disease accounting for up to 70% of diagnosed cases.
There is no cure or treatment for dementia. However, about a third of dementia may be preventable through lifestyle factors like physical activity, healthy eating, reducing alcohol and tobacco use, and managing conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.
The researchers based the dementia calculator on survey data from over 75,000 Ontarians.
“What sets this dementia risk calculator apart is that you don’t need to visit a doctor for any tests,” said Dr Stacey Fisher, the lead author of the study.
“People already have all the information they need to complete the calculator in the comfort of their home.”
The calculator is available at projectbiglife.ca.
