David Ruffley MP has given his support to Alzheimer's Awareness Week which is running this week.

Alzheimer's Awareness Week is the annual health campaign organised by the Alzheimer's Society. The message to people this year is 'Be head strong' and take steps to change your behaviour and reduce your risk of dementia.

A recent report produced by King's College London and the London School of Economics revealed:

• by 2025 one million people in the UK will have dementia

• dementia costs the UK over £17 billion per year

• in 2005 there were 683,597 people in the UK with dementia

David said:

'As a patron of the West Suffolk Alzheimer's Society I am acutely aware of the increasing prevalence of dementia. The Alzheimer's Society in both East and West Suffolk does fantastic work raising the profile of the illness.

'This year Alzheimer's Awareness Week is challenging local people to 'Be head strong' and take steps to change their behaviour and reduce their risks of dementia.

'By 2025 there will be over one million people in the UK with dementia. However, there are simple steps we can all take in our day-to-day lives to reduce the risk of developing dementia in later life.

'We all need to eat correctly; this means not smoking, eating less saturated fat, only drinking alcohol in moderation and drinking more fruit juice and tea.

'On top of this we need to live active lives- exercising for at least 30 minutes a day. Be social- simply talking with our friends keeps our minds active. Finally we should all make an effort to exercise our brains- read widely and try to tackle the crosswords in our daily papers.

'By following these simple and enjoyable tips we can all reduce our risk of developing dementia.

'Dementia costs this country over £17 billion per year and that cost will only increase. We can all make a difference to the spread of dementia by adjusting our lifestyle and encouraging those around us to do the same. There is no better week to begin this change than Alzheimer's Awareness Week.'