WELLINGTON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's surging rates of dementia can be limited by targeting 12 potentially modifiable risk factors that vary across ethnic groups, suggested a University of Auckland study which was released on Friday.

The number of people in New Zealand with dementia is forecast to increase from 70,000 in 2021 to 170,000 by 2050, statistics show.

However, many cases can be avoided by reducing contributing factors such as hearing loss, smoking, depression, obesity, social isolation and physical inactivity, according to a new study published in The Lancet - Regional Health Western Pacific.

Almost half of New Zealand's dementia cases are potentially preventable, with even higher prevention potential for Maori and Pacific peoples, according to Etuini Ma'u, a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.

"In the absence of a cure for dementia, prevention needs to become a public health priority to stem the surge," the study says.

However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and strategies to reduce dementia need to be tailored toward the most relevant risk factors within each ethnic group," said Ma'u. Enditem

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