How to Slash Your Dementia Risk By Half

What if you could substantially cut your dementia risk simply by making simple lifestyle changes? According to newly published research, dementia prevention, including Alzheimer’s prevention, may be possible through basic steps like changing harmful habits and seeking preventative care.

The study, published in The Lancet by the Lancet Commission on Dementia, found that nearly 50% of global cases of dementia can be delayed or prevented altogether by eliminating, treating, or reducing 14 risk factors.

Reducing risk for various types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, is more important than ever as our country’s aging population grows. Modifiable risk factors are the easiest way to help prevent these cases—which are expected to double by 2050 in the U.S. alone.

14 MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS FOR DEMENTIA 

The Lancet’s findings centered around 14 risk factors that contribute to developing dementia symptoms. Let’s look at some of the research behind each one.

1. Less education. A systematic review analyzing 88 study populations, noted that 58% of them “reported significant effects of lower education on risk for dementia.” Researchers have hypothesized that this link may relate to education creating more cognitive reserve, among other theories.

Conversely, continuing to learn and keeping the mind active—at any age—has been associated with lower dementia risk.

2. Hearing loss. The Alzheimer’s Society reports that people who experience hearing problems in their midlife years (ages 40-65) are at increased risk for dementia.

In fact, hearing loss may be an early dementia symptom. But those who employ hearing aids have been shown in studies to be less likely to develop dementia and experience fewer memory and thinking problems. 

3. Hypertension. In the past, medical experts labeled hypertension “the most important modifiable risk factor” for dangers like stroke, cerebral white matter lesions, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), vascular dementia, and more.

One study noted that hypertension is associated with early cognitive deterioration, which can then progress to dementia and stroke within a few years.

4. Smoking. The American Heart Association (AHA) warns that smokers have a significantly higher risk for dementia and dementia-related death, as well as stroke. The World Health Organization estimates that 14% of global dementia cases may be caused by smoking.

The AHA adds that current smokers are 30% more likely to develop dementia and 40% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Being a heavy smoker increases this risk further—by a whopping 34% for every pack (20 cigarettes) a person smokes per day.

Fortunately, quitting can help reverse this effect. The AHA pointed to a study showing that, after 9 years of avoiding cigarettes, a former smoker’s risk drops to the same level as a person who never smoked.

5. Obesity. A study published in 2022 stated that midlife obesity had overtaken physical inactivity as the largest modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the U.S. Researchers reached this conclusion by analyzing data from 378,615 respondents during the 2018 U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System annual survey.

With more than 40% of Americans meeting the criteria for obesity in 2020, this is likely to become a widespread danger in the years ahead.

6. Depression. Research published in JAMA Neurology in 2023 presented surprising findings related to the intersection of depression and dementia risk. In a study of more than 1.4 million Danish adults from 1977 to 2018, both men and women with diagnosed depression were found to have more than double the risk of dementia than those without depression.

This risk was higher for men than women. But the correlation was present regardless of when the depression was diagnosed—in early, middle, or late life.

7. Physical inactivity. A study that tracked nearly 50,000 adults in the U.K. over more than 6 years examined the link between physical inactivity and dementia.

It concluded that, for older adults, more sedentary time was significantly associated with higher incidence of all types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

7. Diabetes. According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, increased risk for both type 2 diabetes and dementia can be triggered by the same cardiovascular problems. These include obesity, heart disease (within the individual or their family history), circulation issues, impaired blood vessels, and high cholesterol or blood pressure.

The organization points to further overlaps, such as reduced glucose metabolism in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, possibly caused by nerve cell death. Meanwhile, buildup of beta amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s-affected brains may disrupt insulin receptors and insulin production, triggering insensitivity to insulin in brain cells.

9. Excessive alcohol consumption. Drinking the equivalent of more than 21 units of alcohol per week in U.K. standards, which equals more than 12 U.S. servings, increases risk of dementia. Imbibing large quantities of alcohol can also lead to alcohol-related brain damage and alcohol-related dementia.

These are not surprising findings, since alcohol damages the brain in a multitude of alarming ways: shrinking volume, lowering blood flow, inducing atrophy, and reducing the number of new brain cells.

10. Traumatic brain injury (TBI). In 2021, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania noted that just one head injury could eventually lead to dementia. This risk further increases if more head injuries occur. The study also suggested a stronger link between head injury and dementia among women, compared to men.

Some studies have estimated that moderate and severe TBIs increase the risk of dementia between 2- and 4-fold. And multiple incidents of even mild TBIs over time (as professional athletes or members of the military might experience) are associated with high risk for the type of dementia called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

11. Air pollution. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has warned that higher levels of fine particulate matter in the air, a pollution called PM_2.5, is linked to dementia cases. The strongest links were found between dementia and pollution from agriculture and wildfires.

In light of this evidence, researchers estimated that as many as 188,000 cases of dementia per year might be due to PM_2.5. 

12. Social isolation. Loneliness has been linked to a variety of memory-related disorders, including dementias such as Alzheimer’s. Researchers have found that, among elderly adults, cognitive decline can accelerate by up to 20% faster among socially isolated people.

They may also struggle with psychiatric disorders, suicide, and altered brain development.

12. Untreated vision loss. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) reported in 2022 that as many as 100,000 cases of dementia in the U.S. might have been prevented with better eye care. Citing a study published in JAMA Neurology, the organization noted that about 1.8% of U.S. dementia cases were associated with visual impairment.

However, preventive actions—such as regular eye exams, eyeglasses, and surgery for conditions like cataracts—can reduce risk.

14. High LDL cholesterol. Research published in Neurology in 2023, which evaluated nearly 185,000 older adults, found that both higher LDL and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were associated with elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia.

PREVENTING DEMENTIA

Almost 20 years before The Lancet’s latest study results, Dr. Daniel Amen of Amen Clinics presented similar findings in his 2005 groundbreaking book, Preventing Alzheimer’s. Later, in his 2017 book, Memory Rescue, he shared a list of 11 risk factors for memory loss, known by the acronym BRIGHT MINDS:

• Blood flow
• Retirement and aging
• Inflammation
• Genetics
• Head trauma
• Toxins
• Mental health
• Immune system problems/infections
• Neurohormone issues
• Diabesity
• Sleep

The good news is, research shows that many risk factors for dementia can be addressed. And because brain changes can arise decades before Alzheimer’s symptoms appear, it’s a good idea to eliminate, prevent, or alter those risk factors as early as possible.

Many strategies to help counteract these risk factors are easy to adopt. Try any or all of the following:

• Exercise for 30 minutes daily.
• Keep your mind sharp by learning new skills or playing brain-stimulating games.
• Eat an anti-inflammatory diet full of nutrient-dense whole foods.
• Get screened for memory problems, traumatic brain injuries, and hormone levels.
• Aim to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
• Maintain a healthy weight and avoid excess sugar.
• Avoid alcohol and other toxins.

DEMENTIA: NOT A NORMAL PART OF AGING

Dementia doesn’t have to be an inevitable or “normal” part of aging. It’s never too early (or too late) to become more vigilant about your health, ensuring the proper preventative care and lifestyle choices.

Caring for your brain and body now—no matter what your age—will help reduce your risk of cognitive decline and dementia in the years and decades to come.