Alzheimer Scotland welcomes research on risk reduction factors for dementia

03 AUGUST 2006
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
To: News/Health/Community Editors

Alzheimer Scotland welcomes research conducted by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden which concludes that obesity and vascular risk factors in midlife, could increase a person’s risk of developing vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

Chief Executive of Alzheimer Scotland, Jim Jackson says, “This research supports Alzheimer Scotland’s risk reduction campaign, ‘Good for you, Good for your brain’ which recommends that making healthy lifestyle choices now, may reduce your risk of developing dementia later in life.”

He continues, “The more vascular risk factors, the greater the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. To reduce this risk we would encourage people to take positive steps towards getting more exercise, eating healthily and staying mentally and physically active. People must be made aware that what’s good for them physically is also good for their brains.”

For more information on Alzheimer Scotland’s ‘Good for you, Good for your brain’ campaign 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

Notes for Editor:

• Miia Kivipelto and colleagues conducted a study among 1449 randomly selected individuals aged 65-79 from Eastern Finland. The study was collaboration between Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and University of Kuopio, and National Public Health Institute in Finland. The participants of the study had been previously surveyed for their weight, height, cholesterol and blood pressure levels in the frame-work of North Karelia Project and FINMONICA study in 1972, 1977, 1982 or 1987.
• The investigators re-examined the participants in 1998 and found that individuals who were obese (body mass index >30 kg/m2) at midlife had more than 2 times higher risk of dementia than those who had normal weight. The researches also found that individuals having the combination of obesity, high systolic blood pressure (>140 mmHg), and high serum cholesterol level (>6.5 mmol/l), had 6 times higher risk of developing dementia when compared to those with normal weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Dementia affects approximately 64,000 people in Scotland.
Alzheimer’s disease is the main form of dementia. The second most common is vascular dementia. As yet there is no cure.

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.