VASCULAR diseases (such as stroke) and risk factors (such as smoking and obesity) can play a powerful role in contributing to dementia, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
AIHW spokesperson Dr Lynelle Moon said the condition accounted for about 3.4% of the total burden of disease in Australia - about 30% of which was due to vascular disease and risk factors.
"While there is no known cure, there are a range of potentially preventable risk factors," she said, such as stroke, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, as well as smoking, physical inactivity, high blood pressure in mid-life and obesity in mid-life, all of which have been associated with increased risk, the new report said.
The report, Contribution of vascular diseases and risk factors to the burden of dementia in Australia: Australian Burden of Disease Study 2011, is available online at www.aihw.gov.au.
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