acts buy our brains time
by Timothy Daly
but dementia risk runs deep . . .
let’s change society
Following years of failed drug trials to find a cure for dementia, many researchers have turned to the strategy of promoting healthy lifestyles to improve brain health. A recent article of mine argues that from the point of view of fair and far-reaching prevention, lifestyle approaches are only the tip of an iceberg of dementia risk, below which we find social inequalities and unhealthy environments. We should encourage lifestyle changes alongside changes in society itself to improve access to health and reduce inequalities.
Further reading:
‘The iceberg of dementia risk: empirical and conceptual arguments in favor of structural interventions for brain health’, 2024, Daly, T., Cerebral Circulation – Cognition and Behavior, 6, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cccb.2023.100193
‘Individuals with dementia and populations with dementia’, 2024, Elizabeth Shaaban, C., Cerebral Circulation – Cognition and Behavior, 6, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cccb.2024.100221
‘A whole-population approach is required for dementia risk reduction’, 2022, Walsh, S., et al., The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 3(1), E6-E8, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00301-9
Author bio:
Dr. Timothy Daly researches dementia and writes poetry. You can follow him on X/Twitter @PhilAlz