Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care, launches innovative risk reduction leaflet

05 June 2006
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
To: News/Health/Community Editors

Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care, Lewis Macdonald, will be launching Alzheimer Scotland’s dementia risk reduction leaflet ‘Good for you, Good for your brain’ at the charity’s Dementia Active conference on Monday 5th June at 10.00am at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

The leaflet underpins a nation-wide dementia risk reduction campaign, which is targeting people aged 45-65 years of age with lifestyle messages that may help to reduce their risk of developing dementia later in life.

Lewis McDonald will say, “Improving awareness of mental health and well-being is a top priority for Scotland’s devolved government, and I am delighted to support Alzheimer Scotland’s new risk-reduction leaflet - ‘Good for you, Good for your Brain’. The aim of this leaflet is to raise awareness of the factors that affect the risk of developing dementia. Simple steps like healthy eating, being physically active, socialising, reading books and doing puzzles all reduce the risk of developing dementia. The more people who are aware of that, the better for both physical and mental health.

“Dementia is the fourth biggest killer in Scotland after heart disease, stroke and cancer. . I hope this campaign will help to reduce the incidence of dementia in the long-term.”

Alzheimer Scotland’s conference, Dementia Active: Changing how we see Dementia, will not only explore the evidence on how lifestyle can affect the risk of developing dementia, but will examine the importance of living healthily with dementia. It will consider the evidence on how lifestyle can affect the health of people with dementia, best practice in post-diagnostic support, the growing involvement of people with dementia in influencing policy and the benefits to people with dementia of getting involved. The impact on the health of carers will also be addressed.

Jim Jackson, Chief Executive of Alzheimer Scotland says, “Dementia is a devastating illness and we want to reduce the number of people who have to face it. Dementia is also a major public health issue: there are now approximately 64,000 people with dementia in Scotland; by 2029 on current trends there will be about 109,000, and the potential costs of their health and social care are huge.

He continues, “Our ‘Good for you, Good for your brain’ leaflet focuses on the small changes that people can make to their lifestyles in their middle years or even earlier, that may help to reduce their risk of developing dementia later in life. There is growing evidence that the healthier choices people already know are good for them in other ways, such as eating healthily, increasing physical activity and keeping mentally and socially active, also help reduce the risk of dementia. Although we don’t yet know how to prevent it, the good news is that people can make it less likely, just as not smoking reduces the risk of lung cancer.”

More information on how you can reduce your risk of dementia can be found in Alzheimer Scotland’s new risk reduction leaflet. To order a free copy of this leaflet call 0845 456 7739 or visit www.goodforyourbrain.org

Please give our Freephone 24hr Dementia Helpline telephone number: 0808 808 3000 and our website address: www.alzscot.org at the end of articles.

Contact details:

Sarah Bromley, PR & Marketing Manager, tel 0131 243 1453, mob 07966 458 869, sbromley@alzscot.org
Jim Jackson, Chief Executive, tel 0131 243 1453, mob 07747 025 041, jjackson@alzscot.org
Kate Fearnley, Policy Director, tel 0131 243 1453, mob 07791 028 317, kfearnley@alzscot.org

Note for Editor:

• The Scottish Executive provides financial support to Alzheimer Scotland for their awareness-raising work, including the development of the “Good for You, Good for Your Brain” leaflet.
• Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. The second most common is vascular dementia. As yet there is no cure.
• Dementia is the fourth biggest killer after heart disease, strokes and cancer.
• A brain-healthy diet is one that reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes, encourages good blood flow to the brain, and is low in fat and cholesterol.
• One American study found a 60% reduction in risk of Alzheimer’s disease in people who ate oily fish at least once a week.
• Regular physical activity helps the blood flow to the brain. It also helps reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, which are all risk factors for dementia.
• A recent study showed that people who exercised three or more times a week had a 30% to 40% lower risk of developing dementia compared with those who exercised less
• Another study found that older men who walked more than two miles a day had nearly half the risk of dementia compared with those who walked less than a quarter of a mile a day.
• Activities that need mental energy, such as reading, playing board games, doing crosswords or Sudoku puzzles and playing games such as bingo or bridge, may help stave off Alzheimer's disease.
• One study found that older people who did crossword puzzles 4 days a week had a 47% lower risk than those who only did a crossword once a week.
• A recent Swedish study found that having an extensive social network seems to protect against dementia. People with a poor or limited social network had a 60% increase in the risk of dementia.

Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s foremost voluntary organisation working for people with dementia and their carers. It:

• speaks out for the rights and concerns of people with dementia and their carers;
• operates services on over 60 sites throughout Scotland providing practical services such as day, evening and weekend centres, home care and befriending and carers' support services;
• provides the 24 hour national freephone Dementia Helpline (0808 808 3000);
• provides the website www.alzscot.org;
• supports a network of over 40 carers' support groups;
• provides information to carers, professionals and people with dementia;
• publishes leaflets, booklets, reports and a quarterly newsletter keeping carers and professionals up-to-date
• has a research programme.