Dementia affects over 800,000 people in the UK and this number is set to double by 2040.

Key points

• There are a range of behaviours which could potentially increase one’s risk of developing dementia, including smoking, obesity and physical inactivity
• Changing behaviours of individuals now could help reduce the number affected by dementia in the future and reduce associated care and medical costs.

Our calls to action

• Government should increase public awareness of the causes of dementia
• Public Health England should consider incorporating dementia prevention into health checks
• Dementia prevention should be included in training for the wider public health workforce
• Further research should be undertaken into the association between lifestyle and dementia.