Good overall health 'may help to prevent dementia'

People may be able to reduce their risk of developing dementia by improving areas of health that are not usually associated with loss of cognitive ability, research suggests.

Scientists at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, studied 7,239 dementia-free people, aged 65 and older, who were evaluated after five and ten years for signs of cognitive deficits.

Participants were also asked about a number of other health problems not thought to be related to dementia, including arthritis, denture fit, skin problems, sinus issues and broken bones.

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The researchers found that each health problem increased a person's chances of developing dementia by 3.2 per cent.

Older adults with none of these health problems at the start of the study had an 18 per cent chance of developing dementia within ten years, while those with 12 health problems had a 40 per cent risk.

Commenting on the findings, which are published in Neurology journal, researcher Dr Kenneth Rockwood said: 'Our study suggests that rather than just paying attention to already known risk factors for dementia, such as diabetes or heart disease, keeping up with your general health may help reduce the risk for dementia.'

Dr Anne Corbett, research manager at the Alzheimer's Society, said that the study may have implications for dementia research.

She added: 'This finding emphasises the importance of regular health checks for people over 65.'

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