5 Things You Should Know About the 'Big D' and Why You Need to Share this on #WorldAlzheimersDay

WARRINGTON, England, September 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Dementia has been described as a global health 'ticking time bomb' by world-leading experts.

Fast being dubbed the disease of an ageing population, dementia is feared not only because there is no cure. It is feared because people can see it in their families, they can see it in their friends, they can see it all around them in their communities.

September 21^st marks World Alzheimer's Day where Alzheimer's organisations around the planet concentrate their efforts on awareness raising.

Dementia is where cancer, 'the Big C' was 30 years ago. 'The Big D' is where we are at now, according to two experts from the World Dementia Council.

Dementia has overtaken cardiovascular disease to become the biggest killer in England and Wales today. And surveys show it's what people in the UK are most scared of. A YouGov poll* revealed 64% of people were most afraid of losing their memory through a health condition such as Alzheimer's or dementia in their golden years.

But dementia is no longer the taboo topic it once was. People are talking more frankly about living with dementia than ever before. That's thanks in part to the power of social media. It has made mass global conversations possible according to World Dementia Council members Jeremy Hughes, CEO of the UK Alzheimer's Society and Paul Hogan, founder of global dementia care specialist Home Instead Senior Care.

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/559135/Paul_Hogan_and_Jeremy_Hughes.jpg )

So here are 5 things they want you to read and share across social media on #WorldAlzheimersDay to help start more conversations spanning the globe: 

1 Life begins at 40 

A 2017 pilot programme saw questions about Alzheimer's and dementia included in NHS midlife health checks which start at 40. In the past, people had said there's no point talking about these diseases at the midlife point because they happen in old age. But the results proved a shift in people's attitude to modifiable dementia risk and managing their health; 75% of people said advice on dementia risk reduction would encourage them to adopt a healthier lifestyle.