Up to 45% of dementia may be preventable. Lancet Commission, 2024
Trusted experts communicating research findings.
Short summaries of what researchers learn, written for anyone who needs them.
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Risk Awareness
Nearly half of all dementia cases are linked to 14 risk factors that the 2024 Lancet Commission calls modifiable. Seven more, from medicines, sleep, nutrition, teeth and infections, are worth knowing about too. Knowing them is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a promise.
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+60% higher risk
Less education
Keep learning at any age; it builds reserve.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+40% higher risk
Hearing loss
Get hearing checked; hearing aids help.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+30% higher risk
High LDL cholesterol
Know your number from age 40 and treat it.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+120% higher risk
Depression
Treat it. Help works, at any age.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+70% higher risk
Serious or repeated head injury
Moderate to severe injuries, or repeated blows, not a single mild concussion. Helmets, seat belts and fall-proof homes.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+20% higher risk
Physical inactivity
Move most days. A brisk walk counts.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+30% higher risk
Smoking
Quitting lowers risk, even later in life.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+70% higher risk
Diabetes
Prevent it, or keep blood sugar well controlled.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+20% higher risk
High blood pressure
Aim for 130 or lower from midlife.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+30% higher risk
Obesity
A healthy weight in midlife protects the brain.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+20% higher risk
Heavy drinking
Less is better: under 21 units a week.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+60% higher risk
Social isolation
See people. Join something. Call someone.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+10% higher risk
Air pollution
Cleaner air and less traffic exposure help.
Lancet Commission, 2024
-
+50% higher risk
Untreated vision loss
Get eyes checked; treat cataracts and other causes.
Lancet Commission, 2024
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+49% higher risk
Anticholinergic medicines
Some bladder, allergy, sleep and depression pills. Ask a pharmacist about alternatives.
Coupland et al., JAMA Intern Med, 2019 (3+ years daily)
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+49% higher risk
Benzodiazepines
Sleeping and anxiety pills like lorazepam. Short-term only; taper with your doctor.
Zhong et al., meta-analysis, 2015; evidence mixed
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+29% higher risk
Gabapentin
With 6 or more prescriptions. Review long-term use with your doctor.
Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, 2025 (low back pain)
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+33% higher risk
Sleep apnea
Loud snoring and daytime tiredness? Get tested. Treatment helps.
Meta-analyses, 2023 and 2024
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+33% higher risk
Low vitamin B12
Easy to test and easy to treat. Ask for a B12 check.
One large records study, 2025; evidence mixed
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+21% higher risk
Gum disease
Brush, floss, see a dentist. Treat infections early.
Review of 47 studies, J Am Geriatr Soc, 2022
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−20% risk
Shingles
lower risk with the shingles vaccine. Ask your doctor if you are 50 or over.
Natural experiment in Wales, Nature, 2025
Each percentage is the extra dementia risk found in large studies for people with that factor, compared with people without it. These are links, not proof of cause, and they add up differently for each person. Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own. Take this list to your doctor or pharmacist and decide together.
Dementia or Alzheimer's? Trusted sources and more on the Risk Awareness page
Latest findings
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Research News
Fast walking linked to lower cognitive impairment risk after age 80
People over 80 who walked much faster than most had lower odds of later cognitive impairment in one observational study.
Read more -
Breakthrough
Metformin plus GLP-1 linked to lower dementia odds in records study
One diabetes drug combination was linked to lower odds of dementia outcomes in a large health-records study, but the design…
Read more -
Care & Communication
Hearing loss linked to worse memory scores in large German study
Adults who reported hearing loss had worse memory scores and brain structure differences in one large cross-sectional German study.
Read more -
Research News
Protein-enriched Mediterranean diet improved nutrition in small trial
Older adults at risk of undernutrition who followed a protein-enriched Mediterranean diet improved nutrition and slightly improved thinking scores in…
Read more -
Science Update
Hormone therapy linked to slightly lower dementia risk in 180,000 women
Women who used hormone replacement therapy had about 10 percent lower dementia risk in a 13-year observational study of 180,000…
Read more
Study Participants Needed Urgently
No diagnosis needed. Adults 18 and over, caregivers welcome. Always your choice.
Careberry's IRB-approved registry. Site code 005. How it works
Need help with dementia right now?
Free, confidential helplines run by established organizations are listed on the Get help page, independent of The Dementia League.
Get helpEvery dollar goes to the work.
DonateQuestions
What does The Dementia League do?
We share what dementia researchers learn, in short summaries written for everyone, and help people find studies they may be able to take part in.
Is everything on this site free?
Yes. The summaries, the email updates and the research registry referral are free. We are a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit in South Bend, Indiana.
Who writes the research summaries?
Our team of researchers and clinicians reviews and edits every summary before it is published.
What is the research registry?
Careberry runs an IRB-approved registry that matches volunteers with studies. We refer people to it with site code 005. Registering only means you agree to hear about studies; taking part is always your choice.
Do you run a helpline?
No. Our Get help page lists free, confidential helplines run by established organizations, independently of The Dementia League.
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes, to the extent allowed by law. The Dementia League is the public name of Center for Integrative Dementia Research and Prevention, Inc., EIN 88-1033362. Donations go through Givebutter, and you get a receipt by email.
Will you sell or share my email?
Never. We use it only to send you the summaries you asked for, and you can unsubscribe any time.