Dementia risk tool launched online

A calculator that predicts how much a person is at risk of developing dementia over the next five years has been launched online.

It factors in details such as age, lifestyle, weight and previous health conditions and indicates a percentage risk to users of developing the condition.

The breakthrough follows a study by researchers at Ottawa University in Canada which, over the course of two decades, tracked participants for an average of 10 years. The dementia tool went live online yesterday.

The online questionnaire takes about five minutes to complete. It only works for people aged 55 or over but is 83% accurate, experts involved in the project say.

Other online calculators exist on the web but few have strong scientific data behind them.

“What sets this dementia risk calculator apart is that you don’t need to visit a doctor for any tests,” said Dr Stacey Fisher, the lead author of the study who carried out the research while working as a PHD student at Ottawa Hospital.

“People already have all the information they need to complete the calculator in the comfort of their home,” she added.

The site, called projectbiglife.ca/dementia, is based on survey results gathered from more than 75,000 Canadians.