YOUR HEALTH, the MEDIA and DO THE MATH 

Dementia Scare 

This week, a study published in the highly respected medical journal, The Lancet, has gained mass media attention. (See http://www.aljazeera.com/news/ 2017/07/lifestyle-cut-dementia-risk-lancet-170720072645780.html) 

It states that by 2050 there may well be over 100,000,000 people world-wide suffering from dementia.

The article also advises that 1/3 of these cases could be prevented by following a ‘brain healthy’ lifestyle. Here are their numbers as to the significance and impact of 9 key and avoidable factors.
I have added well known, common ‘solutions’. 

1. Staying in school until age 15 8% (Yes, schooling develops the brain.) 
2. Middle age to older hearing loss 9% (So get hearing aids.) 
3. Smoking 5% (Don’t start or stop ASAP) 
4. Depression 4% (Yes, there are treatments and medication that work.) 
5. Physical inactivity 3% (Walk more, run, jog or join a health club.) 
6. Social isolation 2% (Family and friends are important.) 
7. High blood pressure 2% (Again, medication helps.) 
8. Obesity 1% (See #5 and watch your calorie or ‘junk food’ intake.) 
9. Type 2 diabetes 1% (Again, medically manageable) 

 So, 1/3 of that 100 million figure is ‘preventable’ with better ‘lifestyle’ ‘choices’.

Unfortunately, some 67,000,000 dementia cases would, -- based on current medial knowledge -- be unavoidable. 

That a lot of people – or is it? 

Projected world population for 2050 is 9.8 billion. (See https://www.un.org/ development/desa/en/news/population/world-population-prospects-2017.html) 

So do the MATH: 

The 100 million is 100,000,000 /9,800,000,000 = 1.02%.
 And if reduced by 1/3 by better ‘lifestyles’, the figure drops to 0.68%. 

Yes, as people now live longer and world population grows, the absolute number of dementia cases will surely rise. 

And, yes, it a devastating ‘slipping into the night’ as are Alzheimer’s, Parkinson MS, ALS, CANCER in all its diverse forms, and many others. 

But these 2050 extrapolated and projected dementia numbers are not extraordinary; quite the contrary. 

In 2014, it was estimated out of a U.S. population of just under 320,000,000, 1 in 738 or 368,320 people had dementia = 1.4%. 
(See http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/d/dementia/stats.htm) At the same time, 14,738,719 people in the U.S.A. had cancer = 4.6 % (https://www.google.ca/search?q=US+Cancer+statistics&rlz=1C1CHBF_ enCA690CA690&oq=US+Cancer+statistics&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.5206j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) 

 So while 100 million is a huge number and when projections 33 years into the future, seems ‘scary’ and almost apocalyptic, the number, taken in the context of projected world population and other deadly diseases, is not.

And I have too much faith in science and medical research to believe that no ‘cure’ or ‘preventative treatments’ will emerge in the 33 years remaining to 2050: to end dementia and Parkinson and Alzheimer’s, etc. world wide. 

As a final note, the ongoing North American fixation on OBESITY (poorly defined and exaggerated by BMI standards] is a mere 1% factor. 

Even smoking increases one’s risk by just 5%. 

So your best bet, if nothing else, is to complete high school and avoid loud music concerts or get hearing aids when needed. These two alone reduce your risk by 17%.