Poor health ratings may lead to dementia

People who believe their health to be poor or fair are more likely to develop dementia in later life, a new study has revealed.

Research conducted at the University of Bordeaux in France has claimed that people who rate their health as poor are 70 per cent more likely to experience dementia, while those who self-rated their health as fair were 34 per cent more likely to have degenerative mental health problems.

"As this study shows once again, keeping in tip top health will not only have short term gain but could significantly reduce our risk of dementia," stated Dr Anne Corbett, research manager for the Alzheimer's Society.

"It is therefore important that people [...] maintain a healthy lifestyle."

In England alone there are approximately 570,000 people living with dementia, with more women than men affected.

Dementia is a degenerative syndrome affecting a person's memory, language and cogitative reasoning.

Read more about Barchester's dementia care homes.