Dementia strikes one in 14 people in the UK over 65, and 47 million people worldwide. Yet scientists are still urgently trying to find why the disease affects some but not others. Dr Ruth Peters, a neuropsychologist from Imperial College London, is one such scientist. Her research involves trying to pinpoint the risk factors for dementia. Dr Peters, from the School of Public Health at Imperial, is particularly focused on the factors that are in our power to change - such as weight, blood pressure and alcohol intake. Using the latest information from clinical trials and studies into dementia, I was commissioned to design an infographic that shows what factors do — and don't — reduce the risk of dementia. She has compiled this in conjunction with Professor Kaarin J Anstey, Director of the Centre for Research on Ageing at Australian National University.
