Almost half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed, study finds

One of the recommendations by dementia researchers was for governments to make hearing aids available for all those with hearing loss. Photograph: Johner/Getty

Almost half of dementia cases worldwide could be prevented or delayed, a study has found, as experts named 14 risk factors.

The number of people living with dementia globally is forecast to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050, and researchers warn this presents a rapidly growing threat to health and social care systems. Global health and social costs linked to dementia exceed $1tn (£780bn) a year, the research shows.