7 habits to ward off dementia

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Monica says the rate of dementia is falling Zelma says the rate of dementia is growing You can’t both be right It’s a lottery because they don’t know what causes it, it could even be exposure to some chemicals or it could be genetic, it could be anything and they just don’t know so try for all round good health in old age We have all seen alcoholic smokers with a poor poor diet who live to be elderly it’s very much the luck of the draw

I haven't read Zelma's email as it has been deleted but my statements are supported by information published by the government and the Alzheimers Society.

The rate of dementia in each age group has fallen by 20% www.dementiablog.org/behind-the-headlines-a-20-drop-in-uk-dementia-incidence-rates/ , but dementia rates rise with age and as more people are living into their 90s and 100s, (The number of centenarians has quadrupled in the last 2 decades www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37505339 )

As people living to this age are more likely to have dementia than a 70 year old, the total number of people with dementia is rising. Both statements are compatible, it just depends on whether you are talking about incidence by age or population as a whole. I was talking about incidence by age, but also acknowledged that the total number of people with dementia was rising for the reasons given above.

I read this once. Forgetting where you put your keys is nothing to worry about, forgetting what they are for is.