Stefania Ilinca said that estimates place the global financial burden of dementia at nearly 1.3 trillion US dollars, with half of these costs borne by families providing informal care.
– In the presence of a considerable and growing burden of dementia and in the absence of a disease modifying treatment, it is essential to step up prevention efforts, encourage the development of a positive narrative focused on health promotion, and invest in high-quality care.
The current WHO guidelines for dementia prevention date back to 2017 and are aimed at health care professionals. These guidelines are currently being updated and expanded, incorporating new research data, with the revised version expected to be published in 2026.
– We are fortunate to have a very dynamic field of research. For most risk factors, there is strong evidence regarding what needs to be done, but unfortunately, this is not implemented universally.
Stefania Ilinca points out that there is often a false sense of dichotomy between the period before and after a dementia diagnosis. Once dementia has begun, it is mistakenly believed that the opportunity for prevention has passed.
– But brain health exists on a continuum. Just as we define health as not merely the absence of disease, brain health is not simply the absence of brain disorders.
Stefania Ilinca reminds us that everything beneficial for the body is also good for the brain, at all stages of life. Early interventions are crucial, and efforts should be focused on improving health and preventing the conditions that lead to functional decline. Even in the presence of disease, the emphasis should remain on functioning, as there is still much that can be done.
– It is never too late, regardless of brain disorders, to invest in maintaining functioning, dignity, and independence. The aim of long-term care should not only be to compensate and assist, but very explicitly to prevent, mitigate, and reverse functional decline wherever possible.
Stefania Ilinca says that, in many regards, the WHO views the Nordic countries as front runners in these areas and considers them a good example to follow.
– We can do a lot to prevent dementia, but we can also do a lot to prevent a dementia diagnosis from being a sentence to a life not lived to its fullest.