Latest news with #NationalPressClub
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Tackling dementia: New approach urged
Urgent action is needed to fight the 'darkness' of dementia, as the deadly condition threatens to affect 850,000 Australians by 2058, a leading brain researcher has said. Dementia is estimated to cost Australia's economy $18bn each year, a figure that will more than double to $37bn in 25 years. But Professor Henry Brodaty spoke to the National Press Club on Wednesday about the need for a new approach to tackling brain health. He said tackling the syndrome would increase productivity in Australia, and delaying the effects of it would allow people to work longer, especially as the workforce ages. A new approach was needed with increased investment to become a world leader in preventing or delaying dementia onset, he said. 'Think about the slip, slop, slap for skin health,' he said. 'We need the slip, slop, slap of brain health, now. 'Funding for dementia has lagged behind cancer and heart disease, even though it contributes more to disease burden. 'Research is critical to find the best ways to provide services efficiently.' He said dementia develops in Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders at 2-5 times the rate of the rest of the population, and suggested steps to counter this. 'Better care before, during and after pregnancy, and in early childhood, and particularly more education, could make a difference to this,' he said. Professor Brodaty said personalised coaching programs improved brain cognition, and increased people's fitness — pushing back the onset of dementia by a year or more. He said this could save Australia billions. 'Imagine what the return on investment would be if Australia did this?' he asked. 'Improving fitness, not only would improve cognition, it would improve fitness, physical, mental and social health.' But Professor Brodaty said Australia's National Dementia Action Plan has only $166m in funding, 'too little for what Australia needs'. 'I sympathise with the government, because there's always competing priorities and there's always other things that can be funded,' he said. 'But, when it makes sense economically, as well as personally to people, then why not do it?'
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Tackling dementia: New approach urged
Urgent action is needed to fight the 'darkness' of dementia, as the deadly condition threatens to affect 850,000 Australians by 2058, a leading brain researcher has said. Dementia is estimated to cost Australia's economy $18bn each year, a figure that will more than double to $37bn in 25 years. But Professor Henry Brodaty spoke to the National Press Club on Wednesday about the need for a new approach to tackling brain health. He said tackling the syndrome would increase productivity in Australia, and delaying the effects of it would allow people to work longer, especially as the workforce ages. A new approach was needed with increased investment to become a world leader in preventing or delaying dementia onset, he said. Professor Brodaty said Australia needs the 'slip, slop, slap' of brain health. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia 'Think about the slip, slop, slap for skin health,' he said. 'We need the slip, slop, slap of brain health, now. 'Funding for dementia has lagged behind cancer and heart disease, even though it contributes more to disease burden. 'Research is critical to find the best ways to provide services efficiently.' He said dementia develops in Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders at 2-5 times the rate of the rest of the population, and suggested steps to counter this. 'Better care before, during and after pregnancy, and in early childhood, and particularly more education, could make a difference to this,' he said. Professor Brodaty said personalised coaching programs improved brain cognition, and increased people's fitness — pushing back the onset of dementia by a year or more. He said this could save Australia billions. Professor Brodaty said Australia's dementia research is underfunded. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia 'Imagine what the return on investment would be if Australia did this?' he asked. 'Improving fitness, not only would improve cognition, it would improve fitness, physical, mental and social health.' But Professor Brodaty said Australia's National Dementia Action Plan has only $166m in funding, 'too little for what Australia needs'. 'I sympathise with the government, because there's always competing priorities and there's always other things that can be funded,' he said. 'But, when it makes sense economically, as well as personally to people, then why not do it?'
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
‘Slip, slop, slap for brain health': Australia needs a major prevention campaign for dementia, doctor says
A 'slip, slap, slop'-style preventative campaign is needed for dementia, as new research shows cases of the disease could be delayed with no added cost, a leading doctor has told the National Press Club on Wednesday. In the speech titled 'Hope Beckons', Prof Henry Brodaty, a co-director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) at the University of New South Wales, said there was much more Australia could be doing to help prevent dementia in its ageing population by addressing risk factors that can be managed, such as poor diet. Australia has a 'very proud record of prevention' when it comes to health, such as the 'slip slap slop' and 'life be in it' campaigns, as well as smoking reduction and heart health awareness, Brodaty said. 'But we don't have an awareness in our community we can do the same thing for dementia, where half the risk factors for dementia is caused by environmentally modifiable factors that we can all do something about. 'We all have the power to do more exercise, to keep our brains active, keep socially connected. We can monitor and treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol. We can compensate for hearing loss. We can try to avoid obesity. We can reduce the risk of diabetes and head injury. We can live in environments free of air pollution. We can not smoke and avoid excess alcohol.' Brodaty told the press club 'We need the slip, slop, slap of brain health now.' Sign up: AU Breaking News email The National Dementia Action Plan 2023–2034 was released, but $166m in funding is too little for what Australia needs, he said. 'Where are the navigators to guide patients and families after a diagnosis? Think about breast cancer … We can do this too in dementia, and it can be cost neutral,' Brodaty said. A study on which Brodaty was senior author, published on Wednesday in the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, found that CHeBA's internet-based dementia prevention program tailored to an individual's risk profile shows cost-effectiveness for improving cognition and reducing dementia risk. Between 2018 and 2021, the trial followed 6,104 Australians aged 55 to 77 without dementia but who carried at least two modifiable dementia risk factors such as being overweight or suffering from anxiety. CHeBA's 'Maintain Your Brain' online had coaching modules for four of these factors: physical activity, nutrition, cognitive training, and depression or anxiety. Half of the participants were assigned to the online program, where they were allocated between two to four of the modules depending on their dementia risk profile, while the other half of participants in the trial (the control group) were given access to curated but freely available information sheets regarding dementia risk reduction. After three years, the researchers analysed the differences in costs for both the direct healthcare that participants received and the program costs, and the effectiveness (cognitive outcomes and dementia risk) between the two groups. They found the participants who received the online coaching showed significant improvements in cognitive performance and greater reductions in dementia risk compared with those who received general health information alone. The difference was highly significant, which would have a 'major effect' at a population level, delaying the onset of dementia, Brodaty said. 'Every year that we can delay the onset of dementia reduces the prevalence of dementia by 10% because it pushes the disease to later in life.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion They also found there was no significant difference in cost per person over the trial period because those who participated in the program used fewer healthcare resources which offsets the cost of delivering it. The researchers noted that the online program would become cheaper per person in future because some research and development costs had already been borne. The researchers also acknowledged limitations within the study: the participants were primarily Caucasian, better educated than average and had a higher socioeconomic status than the general population. They also noted risk-reduction practices may reap greater benefits in higher-risk populations. As the study, they said, considered short-term measures of effectiveness only, 'the true long-term cost savings will only be known if the sample is followed long enough to identify whether cases of incident dementia are prevented'. Prof Scott Ayton, a director in dementia research at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, who was not involved in the research, said 'evidence accumulated over the past decade indicates that lifestyle and risk factor-targeted prevention strategies can meaningfully lessen dementia risk'. 'The large Maintain Your Brain trial stands as a leading exemplar, showing that straightforward, cost-effective, risk-factor targeted interventions can delay onset or reduce overall risk without adding pressure to the health budget,' Ayton said.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Australia needs more investment in dementia research to tackle productivity losses, leading researcher says
Urgent action is needed to fight the 'darkness' of dementia, as the deadly condition threatens to affect 850,000 Australians by 2058, a leading brain researcher has said. Dementia is estimated to cost Australia's economy $18bn each year, a figure that will more than double to $37bn in 25 years. But Professor Henry Brodaty spoke to the National Press Club on Wednesday about the need for a new approach to tackling brain health. He said tackling the syndrome would increase productivity in Australia, and delaying the effects of it would allow people to work longer, especially as the workforce ages. A new approach was needed with increased investment to become a world leader in preventing or delaying dementia onset, he said. 'Think about the slip, slop, slap for skin health,' he said. 'We need the slip, slop, slap of brain health, now. 'Funding for dementia has lagged behind cancer and heart disease, even though it contributes more to disease burden. 'Research is critical to find the best ways to provide services efficiently.' He said dementia develops in Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders at 2-5 times the rate of the rest of the population, and suggested steps to counter this. 'Better care before, during and after pregnancy, and in early childhood, and particularly more education, could make a difference to this,' he said. Professor Brodaty said personalised coaching programs improved brain cognition, and increased people's fitness — pushing back the onset of dementia by a year or more. He said this could save Australia billions. 'Imagine what the return on investment would be if Australia did this?' he asked. 'Improving fitness, not only would improve cognition, it would improve fitness, physical, mental and social health.' But Professor Brodaty said Australia's National Dementia Action Plan has only $166m in funding, 'too little for what Australia needs'. 'I sympathise with the government, because there's always competing priorities and there's always other things that can be funded,' he said. 'But, when it makes sense economically, as well as personally to people, then why not do it?'
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
How tackling dementia can help solve productivity woes
Dementia should be treated as an economic crisis as well as a health issue, a leading scientist has urged. In an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday, brain researcher Henry Brodaty made the financial case for research into dementia. He said federal government funding to a program aimed at slowing dementia progression would lead to a boost in productivity. "It's time for a national movement for brain health, backed by research, scaled with urgency, and funded to save lives and money," Professor Brodaty said. "We don't have a magic doorway out of this crisis, but we do have prevention." His call comes after a dementia prevention trial led by the Centre of Healthy Brain Ageing, where Prof Brodaty is a co-director, found personalised coaching in areas such as physical activity and nutrition pushed back the onset of dementia by more than a year. He said the scheme would save billions of dollars in treatment and care costs. Prof Brodaty said 430,000 Australians live with dementia, which costs the economy about $3.7 billion each year. With more older Australians in the workforce, supporting cognitive health is a "smart economic strategy", he said. The researcher also called for the government to adopt a national dementia risk reduction program. "We are at a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer's disease," Prof Brodaty said. "Over four decades, we've moved from hopelessness to hope, from stigma to science." Carers also sacrifice their jobs to manage their dementia patients, compounding productivity losses, he said. Prof Brodaty said by keeping carers in the workplace by alleviating the treatment of patients would benefit the economy. The federal government launched a national dementia action plan in 2024 providing eight recommendations based on findings from the Centre of Healthy Brain Ageing. The recommendations include improving dementia treatment and diagnosis, supporting carers and tackling stigma. Dementia should be treated as an economic crisis as well as a health issue, a leading scientist has urged. In an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday, brain researcher Henry Brodaty made the financial case for research into dementia. He said federal government funding to a program aimed at slowing dementia progression would lead to a boost in productivity. "It's time for a national movement for brain health, backed by research, scaled with urgency, and funded to save lives and money," Professor Brodaty said. "We don't have a magic doorway out of this crisis, but we do have prevention." His call comes after a dementia prevention trial led by the Centre of Healthy Brain Ageing, where Prof Brodaty is a co-director, found personalised coaching in areas such as physical activity and nutrition pushed back the onset of dementia by more than a year. He said the scheme would save billions of dollars in treatment and care costs. Prof Brodaty said 430,000 Australians live with dementia, which costs the economy about $3.7 billion each year. With more older Australians in the workforce, supporting cognitive health is a "smart economic strategy", he said. The researcher also called for the government to adopt a national dementia risk reduction program. "We are at a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer's disease," Prof Brodaty said. "Over four decades, we've moved from hopelessness to hope, from stigma to science." Carers also sacrifice their jobs to manage their dementia patients, compounding productivity losses, he said. Prof Brodaty said by keeping carers in the workplace by alleviating the treatment of patients would benefit the economy. The federal government launched a national dementia action plan in 2024 providing eight recommendations based on findings from the Centre of Healthy Brain Ageing. The recommendations include improving dementia treatment and diagnosis, supporting carers and tackling stigma. Dementia should be treated as an economic crisis as well as a health issue, a leading scientist has urged. In an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday, brain researcher Henry Brodaty made the financial case for research into dementia. He said federal government funding to a program aimed at slowing dementia progression would lead to a boost in productivity. "It's time for a national movement for brain health, backed by research, scaled with urgency, and funded to save lives and money," Professor Brodaty said. "We don't have a magic doorway out of this crisis, but we do have prevention." His call comes after a dementia prevention trial led by the Centre of Healthy Brain Ageing, where Prof Brodaty is a co-director, found personalised coaching in areas such as physical activity and nutrition pushed back the onset of dementia by more than a year. He said the scheme would save billions of dollars in treatment and care costs. Prof Brodaty said 430,000 Australians live with dementia, which costs the economy about $3.7 billion each year. With more older Australians in the workforce, supporting cognitive health is a "smart economic strategy", he said. The researcher also called for the government to adopt a national dementia risk reduction program. "We are at a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer's disease," Prof Brodaty said. "Over four decades, we've moved from hopelessness to hope, from stigma to science." Carers also sacrifice their jobs to manage their dementia patients, compounding productivity losses, he said. Prof Brodaty said by keeping carers in the workplace by alleviating the treatment of patients would benefit the economy. The federal government launched a national dementia action plan in 2024 providing eight recommendations based on findings from the Centre of Healthy Brain Ageing. The recommendations include improving dementia treatment and diagnosis, supporting carers and tackling stigma. Dementia should be treated as an economic crisis as well as a health issue, a leading scientist has urged. In an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday, brain researcher Henry Brodaty made the financial case for research into dementia. He said federal government funding to a program aimed at slowing dementia progression would lead to a boost in productivity. "It's time for a national movement for brain health, backed by research, scaled with urgency, and funded to save lives and money," Professor Brodaty said. "We don't have a magic doorway out of this crisis, but we do have prevention." His call comes after a dementia prevention trial led by the Centre of Healthy Brain Ageing, where Prof Brodaty is a co-director, found personalised coaching in areas such as physical activity and nutrition pushed back the onset of dementia by more than a year. He said the scheme would save billions of dollars in treatment and care costs. Prof Brodaty said 430,000 Australians live with dementia, which costs the economy about $3.7 billion each year. With more older Australians in the workforce, supporting cognitive health is a "smart economic strategy", he said. The researcher also called for the government to adopt a national dementia risk reduction program. "We are at a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer's disease," Prof Brodaty said. "Over four decades, we've moved from hopelessness to hope, from stigma to science." Carers also sacrifice their jobs to manage their dementia patients, compounding productivity losses, he said. Prof Brodaty said by keeping carers in the workplace by alleviating the treatment of patients would benefit the economy. The federal government launched a national dementia action plan in 2024 providing eight recommendations based on findings from the Centre of Healthy Brain Ageing. The recommendations include improving dementia treatment and diagnosis, supporting carers and tackling stigma.
