This week Alzheimer’s Research UK warned that as many as one in three people born in 2015 will develop dementia later in their lives, which would have worrying consequences for the UK’s health services, potentially resulting in a national health crisis.

We’ve already touched upon the fact that the health sector in the UK is already under significant strain from increasing demand for services as well as staffing and budget cuts, but these new statistics would inevitably add to the pressure.

The new figures have sparked anger across the country with debates circulating the media on the government’s role in reducing the prevalence of dementia.

The care and research charity has called for greater efforts across the globe to help develop new treatments, but with life expectancies now 30 years higher than before, it is not just up to the government and health services to tackle this issue head on.

Part of the responsibility lies with the public, as a number of lifestyle choices can be adopted to reduce the risk of dementia, such as quitting smoking, taking regular exercise and eating healthily. Indeed, whilst it is important that the Government and the authorities emphasize the message that healthy living can massively reduce the risk of this horrible ailment, their influence can only go so far.

Dementia should not become the ‘norm’ for future generations – but the only way to prevent this occurring is for the current population to change the course of the future, by fighting and supporting treatment whilst implementing changes in lifestyles.