Preventive neurology

Neurology has long been a specialty where symptoms of disease are treated as they occur, with little emphasis on prevention. Fortunately, during the past years several longitudinal population-based studies have pointed out modifiable risk factors for dementia, many of them known for their association with cardiovascular disease.1 While it is important to count and manage all risk factors, an integrated, global risk assessment can provide a quantitative overview of the patients’ situation and help physicians and patients (on a clinical level) and general population (on a public health level) set goals and make decisions about necessary lifestyle-related changes or pharmacologic treatment, or both. Preventive cardiology is way ahead in this respect (i.e., Framingham risk scores). In this issue of Neurology ®, Dr. Barnes et al.2 present a late-life dementia risk index meant to stratify older adults into those with low, moderate, or high risk of …