Drop in dementia rates suggests disease can be prevented, researchers say

In the UK, dementia has fallen by a fifth over the past 20 years, possibly down to lifestyle and education changes, highlighting benefits of preventative action

The proportion of older people suffering from dementia has fallen by a fifth over the past two decades with the most likely explanation being because men are smoking less and living healthier lives, according to new scientific research.

A team from three British universities concluded that as a result the number of new cases of dementia is lower than had been predicted in the 1990s, estimated at around 210,000 a year in the UK as opposed to 250,000.