The risk of developing dementia is getting smaller every year because of medical advances and people taking better care of their health,a major study hasfound.

Although the actual number of cases is rising as the British population increases and ages, for the average over 50, the chance of being diagnosed with diseases like Alzheimer's is falling by 2.7 per cent each year.

New research by University College London and the University of Liverpool suggests that around 700,000 people - 30,000 a year - will be spared dementia over the next two decades if progress continues as it has done since 2002.

At the start of the decade the chance of developing dementia for women was14.3 per 1000 people and 17in women.

But today the risk has fallen to 12.3 per 1000 for menand 14.2 for women largely because of health interventions to protect people against illness and improve overall well-being.

Dr Sara Ahmadi-Abhari, lead author from UCL said: "The decline in age-specific incidence of dementia is good news for both the individual and for the society.

"For the individual, dementia is shifted to later years is life. Forsociety, it means the growth in numbers of people living with dementia is not as large as once anticipated."

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Dementia risk dropping as people stay healthier and medicine improves - Telegraph.co.uk