GPS to assess 40-year-olds for signs of dementia risk

FAMILY doctors will start assessing patients’ risk of dementia from the age of 40 under a national plan to reduce rates of the cognitive disorder.

Ministers said the ambitious programme aimed to keep everyone “as healthy as possible, for as long as possible”, while officials said the 15-minute check “could add years to your life”.

Every area of the country has been told to introduce the assessments within the next 12 months, as part of the NHS Health Check, which is offered to patients between the ages of 40 and 74. GPS will be expected to discuss patients’ lifestyles and the steps they could introduce to reduce the chance of dementia.

Public Health England said up to one third of dementia cases could be prevented by changes to everyday habits, but warned that research showed just two per cent of people were aware of all the things they could do to reduce the risk.

Studies suggest that exercise is the most significant single protection against dementia, while maintaining a healthy weight and blood-pressure control also offers significant benefits.

Steve Brine, the public health minister, said: “Early detection and prevention are vital to the health of our nation, and our programmes are among the most ambitious in the world.”

It is estimated more than 850,000 people are living with dementia in the UK with little public understanding of how it is possible to reduce the risk.

Hilary Evans, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Less than a third of people know they can do something to lower the risk of dementia. The NHS Health Check provides a pivotal opportunity to impact a person’s well-being.”

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