How well our minds function in old age is a major determinant of our quality of life (Image: Cracked Hat Illustration)
Editorial: "Dementia: A silver lining but no room for complacency"
Our chances of getting dementia in old age are lower than ever – and there are ways we can all cut that risk further still
MY PATERNAL grandfather died shortly before I was born. The man my father's stories conjured up was physically and mentally tough: a first world war veteran who was boisterous with his drinking buddies and, at home, an old-fashioned head of the household.
But beside those tales sat his life's sad, unelaborated footnote; that he ended his days demented and degraded.
When I ask directly, my dad recalls his father sitting silently for hours, endlessly nursing an empty tea cup, oblivious to all. But my parents prefer not to go into detail. ...
To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.