Medical research has suggested that combating depression and diabetes may be the best way of halting the rise in cases of dementia, even if action is taken after the age of 65.

"It is not a guarantee that an individual won't get dementia, but at a population level, that could potentially stop 10,000 people a year getting dementia in the UK," Professor Clive Ballard, of the Alzheimer's Society, told the Today programme.

But Anne Challenor-Wood, who trains people to care for dementia sufferers, said she was cautious about the report.

Eliminating diabetes and depression, she said, was far from a simple objective, and the report could have a negative impact.

"I am slightly anxious that linking dementia to levels of education and literacy will only add to the stigma, which is something we so desperately need to battle against," she said.

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