Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase awareness of risk reduction and prevention of dementia; and what information he holds on the effect of (a) alcohol, exercise and weight and (b) other risk factors; and if he will make a statement.

Dementia is a key priority for this government. That is why on 6 March 2016, we published the Implementation Plan to support the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020. As part of the Plan, we will transform our approach to risk reduction, using the NHS Health Check programme to educate more people earlier about the risks of developing dementia – and the steps they could take to reduce those risks.

In March 2016, it was announced that Public Health England (PHE), in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK, are piloting approaches to the dementia awareness and risk reduction component of the NHS Health Check, specifically with the younger age group, aged 40-64.

PHE will also:

- continue the “One You” campaign, launched in March 2016 which incorporates key messages around healthy lifestyle that are relevant for dementia risk reduction;

- develop a brain age calculator, which will enable individuals to understand their personal risk of cognitive decline; and

- continue to make dementia risk reduction an integral part of routine healthy lifestyle and behaviour change programmes.

This is underpinned by the evidence set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines (2015): ‘Dementia, disability and frailty in later life – mid-life approaches to delay or prevent onset’, and the Blackfriars Consensus 2014. Alcohol, exercise and weight, as well as smoking, are established risk factors for dementia, identified in both the Blackfriars Consensus statement and the NICE guidelines.

The Blackfriars Consensus makes clear that individuals can reduce their risk of dementia by living healthier lives by not smoking, drinking less, reducing their blood pressure, keeping physically active and better managing diabetes. You can access the Consensus through this link:

http://nhfshare.heartforum.org.uk/RMAssets/Reports/Blackfriars consensus _V18.pdf

The NICE guideline aims to delay the onset of dementia, disability and frailty, increasing the amount of time that people can be independent, healthy and active in later life. You can access the guideline through this link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng16/resources/dementia-disability-and-frailty-in-later-life-midlife-approaches-to-delay-or-prevent-onset-1837274790085

PHE has commissioned evidence based resources, based on systematic reviews undertaken by Cambridge University on the evidence on physical activity and cognitive health.