Dementia - the new risk factors

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The UK has some of the highest dementia rates in the world. The latest data shows nearly half a million people were living with the disease in England in June 2024. Research suggests age and genetics are big risk factors – over which we have no control. But our lifestyles and general health also play a role – including obesity, smoking, excess alcohol, high blood pressure and social isolation. Now 27 experts in the Lancet Commission say high cholesterol and untreated conditions such as glaucoma or cataracts that can impair vision, can also increase the risk. In our latest podcast, the BBC's Health Correspondent, Dominic Hughes, answers 5 Questions On - Dementia - the new risk factors. Image Credit: Getty