How do you picture yourself in old age? For most people, it’s not just living a long life, but being able to enjoy it with a healthy body and mind. An estimated 6.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s or dementia today, a number that is unfortunately expected to grow (especially as baby boomers go into old age). The good news is that there is a lot you can do to lower your risk.
A 2024 scientific study pinpointed 14 ways anyone can lower their risk of dementia. The scientists estimated that 45% of dementia cases of dementia could be preventable through these 14 factors. That’s powerful! Keep reading to see what they are and to learn straight from neurologists how they lower the risk of dementia.
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14 Specific Ways To Lower Your Risk of Dementia
1. Proactively protect your hearing.
The new study showed a link between hearing loss and dementia. This means that doing what you can to preserve your hearing could lower your risk of dementia. “Research has documented changes in brain structure due to hearing loss, which may negatively impact cognition over time,” says Dr. Smita Patel, DO, an integrative neurologist at Endeavor Health.
She explains that hearing loss makes the brain work harder to process sounds, which leads to a bigger cognitive strain. This strain may accelerate cognitive decline, she says. To protect your hearing, Dr. Patel says to protect your ears from loud noises by using ear plugs when necessary. She also recommends getting regular hearing tests to monitor your hearing and to use hearing aids, if you need them.
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2. Reduce your LDL cholesterol levels.
Having high LDL cholesterol isn’t just bad for your heart, it’s also linked to an increased risk for dementia. Dr. Gary Small, MD, chair of psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center, explains that elevated blood pressure damages blood vessels leading to reduced blood flow to brain cells. As a result, brain tissue is damaged due to lack of oxygen and nutrients.
“High blood pressure also increases brain inflammation, harms white matter that is responsible for communication between neurons and disrupts the blood-brain barrier, allowing inflammatory molecules and toxins to enter the brain. Over time, people with hypertension experience brain atrophy or shrinkage in regions controlling thinking and memory, such as the hippocampus and the frontal lobe,” he says.
To keep your cholesterol at a healthy level, Dr. Small says it’s important to get regular exercise, drink alcohol in moderation (if at all) and maintain a healthy diet. If you do have high cholesterol, he recommends considering the DASH diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and limited salt consumption and has been shown to help lower cholesterol.
Related: The One Thing a Cardiologist Is Begging You to Start Doing ASAP If You Have High Cholesterol
3. Treat and manage depression.
Perhaps one of the more surprising outcomes of the study was showing a link between depression and dementia. “The connection between depression and dementia is pretty complex and still not fully understood, but research suggests that depression can indeed increase the risk of dementia,” says Dr. Forrest Foster, MD, a neurologist at Remo Health.
Dr. Foster says that depression is linked to chronic inflammation in the brain, which can damage brain cells and contribute to dementia. “People with depression might be less likely to engage in healthy habits, such as regular exercise and social activities, which are known to protect against cognitive decline,” he adds.
If you are experiencing depression, don’t suffer in silence. Tell your primary care provider, who may be able to prescribe you medication and refer you to a therapist. Dr. Foster urges you to also avoid isolating yourself from others, since social isolation is another risk factor for dementia.
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4. Protect your brain from traumatic brain injuries.
According to the study, experiencing a traumatic brain injury can increase the risk of dementia. To lower your risk of experiencing one, always wear your seatbelt when in the car. Another way to prevent a traumatic brain injury is by wearing a helmet when engaging in any contact sports (like football or boxing) and when riding a bike or motorcycle.
If you are an older adult, do what you can to minimize your risk of falling, such as by ensuring all areas of your house and walkway are properly lit and to avoid leaving clutter on the floor.
5. Exercise regularly.
Getting regular exercise is directly linked to lowering the risk of dementia. Not coincidentally, exercising helps decrease the risk of some of the other factors on this list, including having high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Aim to get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week to preserve your brain health.
Related: Doing This One Thing Daily for 30 Minutes Can Boost Your Memory
6. Prevent type 2 diabetes through diet and exercise.
As mentioned, having type 2 diabetes increases the risk of dementia. “Insulin resistance makes it difficult for the brain to break down the glucose it needs for energy, causing cell damage in the brain,” explains neurologist Dr. Rabih Kashouty, MD. To lower your risk of diabetes, he recommends consuming a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, while also avoiding saturated fats and cholesterol.
Related: Doing This One Thing Every Day Could Lower Your Risk of Dementia, According to a Cleveland Clinic Neuropsychologist
7. Refrain from using tobacco in any form.
You probably already know that smoking is bad for your cardiovascular health, but did you know it’s also bad for your brain? “Smoking is a big risk factor for dementia,” Dr. Foster says. “When you smoke, it takes a toll on your entire vascular system which in turn affects your heart and blood vessels. This damage can potentially lead to strokes, which are due to the cutting off of the blood supply to parts of the brain, which can cause irreversible damage,” he explains.
Additionally, Dr. Foster says that smoking can cause direct brain damage through the harmful, toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke. “These toxins lead to inflammation and oxidative stress in brain cells, which could be a risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” he explained. “Plus, smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches your brain, which can impair its function and speed up cognitive decline.” If you smoke or vape, consider this your sign to make 2025 the year you quit for good.
8. Keep your blood pressure levels in check.
Similar to high cholesterol, having high blood pressure can also increase your risk of dementia. You can lower both by adopting the same healthy habits: exercising regularly and eating a primarily plant-based diet while keeping your sodium intake low.
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9. Take steps to avoid obesity.
Dr. Small explains that central obesity—the accumulation of fat cells around the abdominal organs—can increase dementia risk. “This is especially the case when it occurs in midlife. These fat cells heighten inflammation in the brain and this excess inflammation damages neurons controlling memory and thinking and leads to dementia,” he says.
Dr. Kashouty notes that another reason why obesity is connected to dementia is because it can cause sleep apnea. “Sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure which can restrict blood supply to the brain, depriving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients. This can cause cell death, contributing to memory and cognitive decline,” he explained.
Just like regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet can prevent type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, these steps can also protect against obesity. However if you do have obesity and find it hard to lose weight through diet and exercise alone, talk to your doctor to see if a weight loss medication is a good fit for you.
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10. Minimize alcohol consumption.
Simply put, alcohol is bad for your brain—full stop. “Excess alcohol consumption can damage brain cells that control memory and other cognitive processes. These injured neurons communicate less effectively, which leads to cognitive decline,” Dr. Small says.
There has never been a better time to cut back on how much alcohol you’re drinking. There is a non-alcoholic replacement for anything you may drink regularly, including non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits. Boisson is one retailer that sells them all and ships to all 50 states.
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11. Spend time socializing.
“Social isolation can significantly raise the risk of developing dementia,” Dr. Patel warns, adding that there are several reasons for this: One is that not interacting with others likely means decreased cognitive stimulation, which is crucial for staying sharp. Dr. Patel says that social isolation also increases the risk of depression, which is another risk factor for dementia.
Related: Psychologists Are Begging People To Pay Attention to These 11 Early Signs of Loneliness
12. Protect yourself from air pollution.
Regularly breathing air pollution increases the risk of dementia. Dr. Patel explains that this is because air pollution causes inflammation in the brain and it also makes the heart work harder, which means less blood flow to the brain. If you are going to be in an area with a lot of pollution, consider wearing a mask to minimize how much harmful smoke you are breathing in.
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13. Protect your eyes.
Did you know that having poor vision increases the risk of dementia? To protect your eyes, stay on top of your annual eye exams. That way, if your vision does change as you get older, you can take proactive steps to support your vision, such as by getting stronger glasses or contact lens prescriptions. Seeing your eye doctor once a year is also important for preventing eye diseases, which become more common with age.
Related: The Worst Habit for Eye Health, According to Ophthalmologists
14. Never stop learning.
The study also found a connection between lack of education and dementia risk. This connection is a complicated one because many people who lack the resources to seek education also may not have access to healthy foods and may live in an area with lots of pollution, other risk factors for dementia. But it’s never too late to keep learning! Keep your brain sharp by doing crossword puzzles, playing games with others (a great way to avoid social isolation), learning a new language, reading more often (libraries are free!) or learning a new instrument.
Looking at this list of 14 preventable risk factors for dementia should feel empowering. There’s a lot you can do to keep your brain healthy well into old age! While no one can control their health completely, dementia is not a condition left entirely up to chance. You have more power than you may realize.
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Sources
- Dr. Smita Patel, DO
- Dr. Gary Small, MD
- Dr. Forrest Foster, MD
- Dr. Rabih Kashouty, MD
