Preface

What can we do to avoid getting dementia? Whenever I give a lecture or presentation on this disease, this is the question I am most often asked. Any doctor will tell you that to avoid getting a disease it is necessary to know the cause, but at the time of writing we do not know of a specific cause for dementia. Increasingly it is believed that, rather than there being a single cause, it is most likely that there are a number of factors which may predispose us to developing dementia. These are the ‘risk factors’; some of these we can modify and some we can take steps to avoid, if we know what they are.

Every day the media runs stories about ‘a cure for Alzheimer’s disease’, but on closer inspection most of these are revealed to be just stories – perhaps with a tiny nugget of information about a new line of research. As I spend my days supporting those with dementia and their carers, it is this research that is of interest to me.

In addition, people like myself who work in the field of dementia-support are able to spend time, so often not available to other health professionals, on in-depth conversation with those whose lives have been affected. We find factors that come up again and again – physical and mental trauma, illness, stress, nutritional habits and lifestyle options.

As I have studied the research and put together information about risk factors, I have begun to notice a number of what I call ‘connections’. Many others are interested in these connections too, and in the theories and viewpoints about some of the treatments which have empirical evidence behind them, as well as the hard evidence that comes from medical trials. I have written this book for those people and for anyone who is worried about the possibility of developing dementia.

This book is a review of some of the many areas of research into the risk factors. I discuss some of the conclusions of that research and also look at more tenuous connections which may nevertheless be of interest. I have included case histories where these illustrate important points in the book (these have come from family and friends who have kindly agreed to their inclusion) and I have added a glossary to explain some of the less familiar terms that recur in the book. (You will find these are in bold in the text.) I very much hope the book will stimulate debate and inspire readers to take a look at the original research to which I refer. Most of all, I hope the book will help and encourage anyone concerned with ‘dodging the D word’.