[Webinar] Potentially modifiable risk factors for low cognition and dementia: Could Canada reduce dementia by 50%?

Cognitive impairment in aging is a multifactorial process involving several modifiable risk factors and pathological changes. It has been suggested that 35% to 45% of dementia cases worldwide are attributable to 9 to 14 risk factors. However, less is known about the extent to which these risk factors contribute to low cognition and dementia in Canada. This study estimated the potential population impact of 12 modifiable risk factors in middle-aged and older Canadian adults. Nearly 50% of dementia cases in Canada could be prevented by modifying 12 lifestyle risk factors. The results of this study highlight that the strategies to increase physical activity and promote effective management of hearing health, obesity, and hypertension have the greatest potential to mitigate a large proportion of dementia cases in Canada.

Presenter: Surim Son, Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso, and Dr. Mark Speechley from Western University