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the dementia calculator , which is documented in the journal of epidemiology and community health , helps people 55 years of age and older better understand their brains and what they can do to reduce the risk of a deadly diagnosis over the next five years. the tool, which was created in collaboration by researchers at the ottawa hospital, the university of ottawa, the bruyère research institute and ices, was built on survey from data from more than 75,000 canadians.
“what sets this dementia risk calculator apart is that you don’t need to visit a doctor for any tests,” said stacey fisher , the lead author of the study who performed the research largely in ottawa as a phd student in ottawa under the guidance of doug manuel and peter tanuseputro. “people already have all the information they need to complete the calculator in the comfort of their home.”
dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range a cognitive issues — such as memory loss and difficulty thinking or problem solving — that are significant enough to interfere with daily life. over 400,000 canadian seniors are currently living with a diagnosis, according to the public health agency of canada , with another 76,000 or so cases uncovered annually — a number only expected to increase as the country’s population continues to age. it is projected that the total annual health care costs for canadians with dementia will rise to $16.6-billion in 2031 — twice the total cost from 2011.
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the new tool has been added to a range of other calculators — including those that predict life expectancy and risk of heart attack or stroke — at project big life , a website dedicated to showing how public health policy affects families and communities.
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dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca
