A DOLGELLAU woman is encouraging others to act now to reduce their risk of developing dementia later on in life.

Welsh Government figures show 77 per cent of people in Wales are worried about developing dementia later in life and four in 10 people think if someone in their family has dementia, they may develop it too.

People are being encouraged to act now to reduce their risk - as the risk of developing dementia increases with age. As more people are living longer, the number of people developing dementia will grow.

The campaign calls on the public to become more active, check their health regularly, try new things, stop smoking, only drink alcohol within the recommended guidelines and watch their weight.

One woman who has gone some way to be more active and social to help improve their health and reduce their dementia risk is 47-year-old Gaynor Davis from Dolgellau.

She said: “I’ve always enjoyed being active, and in particular I really like cycling.

“I had a few health issues in the past, and so wanted to do more physical and social activities to improve my health and increase my chances of having a longer, healthier and happier life ahead of me.

“I currently work for Welsh Cycling, but separate to that I’m also involved with the Breeze Cycle Network in Dolgellau.

“When I first got involved with cycling through Breeze, it was to get out and about more, meet local ladies and generally do something a bit fun! As well as the health benefits there are lots of social aspects of joining a low key cycle group.

“It’s a great way to meet new people, and have good company to talk to and share experiences with. All of this contributes to our well-being and improved health, which in turn will hopefully reduce our risk of getting illnesses such as dementia and heart and lung disease.”

Health and social services minister Mark Drakeford said: “The risk of dementia increases with age and as more people are living longer, the number of people developing dementia will grow.

“You are never too young to take some simple steps to improve both your physical and mental health as you age and hopefully reduce your risk of dementia and other diseases.”

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