Risk factors
Fourteen risk factors you can change
The 2024 Lancet Commission estimated that about 45% of dementia worldwide is linked to 14 modifiable risk factors across the life course.
| Life stage | Risk factor | What can help |
|---|---|---|
| Early life | Less education | Good-quality education for all children; keep learning throughout life |
| Midlife | Hearing loss | Get hearing tested; use hearing aids if needed |
| Midlife | High LDL cholesterol | Check cholesterol from about age 40 and treat if high |
| Midlife | Depression | Seek treatment for depression |
| Midlife | Traumatic brain injury | Wear helmets and seatbelts; protect against head injury in sport |
| Midlife | Physical inactivity | Stay physically active through life |
| Midlife | Diabetes | Prevent and manage diabetes |
| Midlife | Smoking | Stop smoking, at any age |
| Midlife | High blood pressure | Check blood pressure and treat if high |
| Midlife | Obesity | Maintain a healthy weight |
| Midlife | Excessive alcohol | Limit alcohol |
| Later life | Social isolation | Stay socially connected |
| Later life | Air pollution | Reduce exposure to air pollution where possible |
| Later life | Untreated vision loss | Get eyes checked; treat vision problems such as cataracts |
Two factors were new in 2024: high LDL cholesterol in midlife, estimated to account for about 7% of dementia, and untreated vision loss in later life, about 2%. ↗
The suggested actions follow the Commission’s recommendations; they are general advice, not a personal plan. ↗
The 45% estimate assumes each factor is causal and could be removed entirely, so it shows the size of the opportunity rather than a promise for any one person.
Genes matter too. Two copies of APOE4 raise risk far more than any single factor here; see the sister site apoe4.science.
This site is for education and is not medical advice. Talk with your doctor about your own risk and what is right for you.