The research
Age and genes are outside your control, and many other risk factors are within it. In 2024 the Lancet Commission on dementia, an international panel of experts, identified 14 modifiable risk factors and estimated that addressing all of them could, in theory, prevent or delay nearly half of dementia cases.
That estimate applies to whole populations, and no single step guarantees that any one person will avoid dementia. The same habits that protect your heart also protect your brain, and they help at any age.
The 14 risk factors
The Commission's list, grouped by the stage of life when each matters most:
- Early life: less education
- Midlife: hearing loss, high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, depression, traumatic brain injury, physical inactivity, diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and excessive alcohol use
- Later life: social isolation, air pollution, and untreated vision loss
Where to start
- Know your numbers. Keep blood pressure, blood sugar, and LDL cholesterol in the ranges your doctor recommends, and take prescribed medications as directed.
- Move every day. Walking counts. Ask your doctor what level of activity is safe for you.
- Get your hearing checked, and wear hearing aids if you need them. Get your eyes checked too.
- Stay connected. Regular time with family, friends, church, clubs, or volunteer work keeps the brain engaged.
- Quit smoking, and keep alcohol moderate.
- Protect your head. Wear a seatbelt, wear a helmet when cycling, and reduce fall risks at home.
- Treat depression and sleep problems. Both affect thinking, and both are treatable.
Research supports combining these steps. In the U.S. POINTER study, published in 2025, older adults at higher risk of memory decline who followed a structured program of exercise, healthy eating, brain and social activity, and regular health check-ins improved their thinking scores more than a group that followed a self-guided version.
If memory changes have started
Healthy habits support brain health, and they are no substitute for an evaluation once memory changes have started. If you or your family have noticed changes, schedule a visit. Today's treatments for Alzheimer's disease work in the early stages, and treatable causes are easier to find when you look early.
This guide is for education and is not medical advice. Treatment decisions are made with your provider after a full evaluation.