Predicting Dementia Risk

Contributed by: Dennis Fortier, President, Medical Care Corporation
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There is much coverage today of a study published in Neurology describing how researchers can predict the risk of an individual developing dementia based on underlying risk factors.

In this particular study, UCSF researcher and lead author Deborah Barnes followed more than 3000 subjects over a six-year period and developed 15 point scale to quantify dementia risk.

I am happy to see this study carried broadly by the media because an educated public, one that understands the many risks that make dementia more likely, will be in a position to monitor and manage risks among themselves.

In the long run, this educational impact might have a greater impact on overall health than any treatments or interventions could hope to bring.