This is how you can reduce your risk of getting dementia

This article was first published in June 2022 and updated in August 2024.

Researchers have found that people whose genes put them at increased risk of dementia can reduce their chances of getting the condition if they follow seven habits for healthy living.

It was already thought that a healthy lifestyle could cut the risk of dementia, but until now it has been less clear if this applied to people with genetic variants that make them more likely to develop the condition.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says dementia is the seventh leading cause of death among all diseases worldwide and is responsible for millions of older people enduring disability and dependency. With the proportion of older people increasing in almost every country, Alzheimer's Disease International expects dementia cases to rise to 139 million by 2050.

A 2022 study from the American Academy of Neurology investigated whether people with a higher genetic risk could reduce their chances of getting the condition. Researchers followed almost 12,000 people for 30 years and scored them on how closely they followed the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Life’s Simple 7 – a list of lifestyle habits linked to good cardiovascular health (AHA has since added an eighth habit, sleep, and the list is now called Life's Essential 8).

The seven habits are:

1. Manage your blood pressure. Keeping your blood pressure within a healthy range reduces the strain on your heart, arteries and kidneys.

2. Control cholesterol. High cholesterol contributes to plaque, which can clog arteries and lead to heart disease and stroke.

3. Reduce blood sugar. High levels of blood sugar can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.

4. Get active. There’s strong evidence daily physical activity increases the length and quality of your life.

5. Eat better. A healthy diet is one of the best ways to prevent cardiovascular disease.

6. Lose weight. Shedding a few pounds can reduce the burden on your heart, lungs, blood vessels and skeleton.

7. Stop smoking. Smokers have a higher risk of developing a range of serious illnesses including heart disease.

Participants in the dementia study were asked to score themselves on a scale of 0 to 14 depending on how closely they followed all seven healthy habits. Researchers also calculated their genetic risk, based on whether they had variants linked to a higher or lower chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease, which is a major cause of dementia.

The participants had an average age of 54 when the research started. Around 9,000 had European ancestry and 3,000 had African ancestry.

By the end of the study, 1,603 people with European ancestry and 631 people with African ancestry had developed dementia. Those with the highest scores for following a healthy lifestyle were much less likely to have dementia, including participants who had genetic variants linked to Alzheimer’s.

A more recent study has identified that treating failing eyesight and high cholesterol can also lower the risk of developing dementia.

In those with European ancestry, participants with the highest scores for living healthily were up to 43% less likely to get dementia than those scoring lower. For those with African ancestry, following the healthy habits was linked to a 17% lower risk of developing the condition. But the study’s authors say the smaller numbers of people with African heritage taking part means the findings are less certain for this group, so more research is needed.

Dr Rosa Sancho, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Dementia risk depends on many factors. Some, like our age and genetic make-up, we cannot change, while others like diet and exercise, we can. This study supports the idea that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain.”

If adopting these seven healthy habits – and treating failing eyesight and high cholesterol – can reduce the number of people who get dementia, it won’t just be individuals who benefit. The WHO says dementia has high global social and economic costs too. Informal carers – including family and friends – spend an average of five hours a day caring for sufferers, and the global financial bill is expected to reach $2 trillion by 2030.

There are many organizations around the world working to help accelerate advances in prevention and treatment of the condition. Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative is led by the World Economic Forum and The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease and is investing $700 million over six years into drug development and healthcare diagnostics.