What is fueling the increasing prevalence of dementia?
The Canadian population is aging. Because age is the most prominent risk factor in the development of dementia, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias increases sharply with age. In the last few years, the Canadian federal government has made substantial financial investments into understanding other chronic conditions, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes; investments that are paying off with better prevention and more effective treatments. Somewhat paradoxically, as Canadians become better able to manage these and other chronic illnesses, they live longer, thereby becoming increasingly at risk of developing dementia. The second factor is related to the risk factors for dementia, which include, along with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, stress and obesity. Although these risk factors can all be controlled to a degree, they mostly tend to increase with age, adding to the risk associated with age its
