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NICE recommendations on preventing frailty in later life

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NICE recommendations on preventing frailty in later life

NICE has launched recommendations for ways to delay or prevent the onset of dementia, disability and frailty in later life.

The guidance, titled ‘Disability, Dementia and Frailty in Later Life – Mid-Life Approaches to Prevention’, suggests that by changing specific risk factors and behaviours it is possible to reduce the risk of dementia, disability and frailty for a many people.

“These guidelines are a hugely welcome shift in public health thinking, highlighting the need for a change in mid-life behaviour and lifestyle choices to reduce the risk of dementia,” said Jeremy Hughes, chief executive at Alzheimer’s Society.

“This advice needs to be extended to encourage those who go on to develop dementia to live well and prevent the condition deteriorating more quickly.”

The guidance recommendations include, helping people stop smoking, be more active, reduce alcohol consumption, improve their diet and, if necessary, lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Reducing the incidence of other non-communicable chronic conditions, such as diabetes, that can contribute to onset of dementia, disability and frailty. Increasing people’s resilience, for example by improving their social and emotional wellbeing.

By 2025, around 23% of the UK population will be aged 65 and over. Despite living longer, the later years are not always spent in good health. It is estimated that men will face around eight years of ill health, and a further seven years with a disability, towards the end of their lives. On average women will have nine years both of ill health and living with a disability, according to NICE.

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