Miia Kivipelto, Professor, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden:
Keynote lecture: Preventing dementia and promoting brain health
– I believe we are facing what can be called a dementia epidemic. It is a global challenge that requires global solutions.
Keynote speaker Professor Miia Kivipelto made clear the immense scale of the disease, reminding everyone in the room that over 50 million people currently live with dementia, a figure projected to exceed 150 million by 2050. The number of individuals with mild cognitive impairment is even higher, and those carrying the pathological proteins amyloid and tau in their brains – which puts them at risk of developing dementia – could be ten times greater.
– This is a very exciting time in Alzheimer’s research, as we will soon be able to measure amyloid and tau with a simple blood test. I believe this will be a game-changer.
Professor Miia Kivipelto stated that early identification of individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia holds significant potential for both preventing and delaying the onset of the disease. Additionally, prevention could save societies a substantial amount of money. A five-year postponement of the onset of the disease could reduce the number of patients by up to 50%.
– It is never too early and never too late to reduce the risk of dementia. We should prioritise brain health throughout the entire life course.
In her keynote speech, Professor Miia Kivipelto presented the latest report from the Lancet Commission on dementia, published in July 2024.
– The good news is that the potential for prevention is greater than previously believed. Age and genetics still play a big role, but 45% of all dementia seems to be linked to modifiable risk factors. We should be ambitious about prevention.
The Lancet Commission now identifies 14 modifiable risk factors, with high LDL cholesterol and vision loss being the new additions to the list. The previous 12 risk factors from a life-course perspective, from early age to later life, remain: diabetes, high blood pressure in midlife, obesity in midlife, physical inactivity, depression, smoking, low education, hearing loss, traumatic brain injury, high alcohol consumption, social isolation, and air pollution.