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Panel discussion: Leading the way in dementia prevention – from research to policy and implementation

As representatives from the health authorities of Finland, Åland Islands, Iceland, and Sweden gathered for a panel discussion, one of the first questions raised was whether the new research findings on dementia prevention call for stronger action from the governments of the Nordic countries.

– We have a long tradition of disease prevention and promoting health and well-being. We always base the implementation of various policy actions on the latest research. We have robust databases and resources that underpin our policies, and new information is continuously incorporated. This approach will continue in Finland as we develop new policies and their implementation in the future, says Taru Koivisto, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in Finland.

The same is true for Iceland, notes Elsa B. Frídfinnsdóttir, Senior Adviser, Ministry of Health in Iceland.

– We actually have a dementia prevention action plan from 2020, and we’re now beginning a revision.

Elsa B. Frídfinnsdóttir specifies that the Lancet Commission’s 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia offer many benefits beyond simply preventing dementia and should therefore be widely implemented across various governmental health promotion programmes.

– I believe our authorities and governments often work in silos, and we need to break away from this approach and adopt a broader perspective.

– Taru Koivisto, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Finland

Sweden is working on a renewed dementia strategy. Frida Nobel, Senior Medical Officer at the National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden, says the ongoing development of the national dementia strategy places significant emphasis on prevention.

– Prevention is a key focus in the new strategy, largely based on recent research findings from the FINGER study and the 14 risk factors identified by the Lancet Commission.

Further, Frida Nobel points out that many of the risk factors for dementia are also risk factors for other diseases. Dementia prevention aligns with broader health prevention efforts, which echoes the views of Elsa B. Frídfinnsdóttir.

Knut Lönnroth, Chief Medical Officer of the Government of Åland, agrees. He says the new scientific findings have already been incorporated into a new public health strategy, as well as a new programme for senior citizens in Åland.

– Prevention is at the core, providing additional momentum to the entire health promotion agenda. Health trends among the younger population are generally concerning, and greater emphasis needs to be placed on exercise and diet. This is also closely linked to dementia prevention in the long term.

When focusing on dementia risk prevention, Taru Koivisto notes that both positive and negative trends are present in society simultaneously.

– Some lifestyle risk factors are on the rise, such as obesity. However, there are also positive trends: young people today drink and smoke less. On the other hand, middle-aged people currently face many risk factors, and as they age, these problems may in future become more significant.

Taru Koivisto emphasises that much more effort is needed to identify different population groups facing varying risk factors.

– We need to target different sectors of society, not just the health care sector, but also social services, education, and nutrition professionals.