Many people worry about developing dementia. It’s normal to become more forgetful as we age, but dementia goes beyond that – it can make everyday tasks and clear thinking increasingly challenging. The World Health Organization estimates that around 10 million people are diagnosed with dementia worldwide each year.
As a critic, I’ve been trying to wrap my head around how dementia is portrayed on screen, and it’s important to understand what it is. It’s not one specific illness, but rather a collection of symptoms caused by changes in the brain that gradually affect memory and thinking skills. We’re talking about conditions like vascular dementia, which often follows strokes, and the most familiar type, Alzheimer’s disease – it’s the one you usually see depicted, and sadly, the most prevalent.
Certain factors beyond our control, like genetics and increasing age, can make some people more susceptible to dementia. The risk of developing it starts to increase after age 65, and by 85, about one in three people are affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Kristine Yaffe, a leading expert at the University of California, San Francisco, explains that we still have much to discover about how dementia develops. While experts are still figuring out all the risk factors – as our understanding of the condition grows – research shows there are steps you can take throughout your life to potentially reduce your risk, even if dementia runs in your family or you have genes that increase your chances of Alzheimer’s.
The World Health Organization published new recommendations in July 2026 about steps people can take to lower their risk of dementia and cognitive decline. According to the report, addressing these factors could potentially prevent nearly half of all dementia cases. These guidelines support findings from a 2024 Lancet Commission report, which identified 14 things that can be changed to help prevent dementia. Dr. Jason Karlawish, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, explains that while dementia is common, it’s not something people are destined to get.
While not all dementia cases can be avoided – sometimes it just happens, even to those who live very healthy lives – there’s still reason for optimism. Yaffe emphasizes that it’s important not to blame individuals, as dementia isn’t always preventable. However, making positive lifestyle changes could potentially delay the onset or reduce the risk of developing the condition.
As a movie critic, I’m always looking for stories that have staying power, and it turns out, so does taking care of yourself! Recent research suggests that building healthy habits isn’t just good for your physical health – it’s fantastic for your brain too. It seems like consistently prioritizing wellness could actually lower your risk of dementia down the road. Think of it as a long-term investment in a sharp, clear narrative – for your life!
Prioritize your heart health
To improve your heart health, try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, take any medications your doctor prescribes, and eat a heart-healthy diet. The American Heart Association suggests filling your plate with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, while limiting foods high in saturated fat, sugar, salt, and highly processed ingredients.
Several factors that increase the risk of dementia often occur together, according to Karlawish. The Lancet Commission reports that high LDL cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, and Type 2 diabetes contribute to 14% of dementia risk that could potentially be changed. As Yaffe explains, anything that’s bad for the heart – like high blood pressure, obesity, or diabetes – also appears to be important for brain health.
A recent, large study in the European Heart Journal found that people with higher levels of a heart damage protein called troponin I were more likely to develop dementia in the future. Separately, the American Heart Association reported in Stroke that heart problems like heart failure, irregular heartbeat, and coronary artery disease are connected to thinking difficulties and a higher chance of getting dementia. This report was published in 2024.
These five risk factors are closely related, explains Karlawish. For instance, being obese can raise your chances of developing high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, regular exercise can help lower the risk of all of these conditions.
Fortunately, factors that increase the risk of vascular disease are often very manageable,” explains Dr. Joseph Coresh, director of the Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “However, starting treatment early is key to seeing the biggest improvements.” This involves regular exercise, a healthy diet, consistent check-ups to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, and taking any prescribed medications as directed.
Don’t smoke and limit your alcohol intake
To improve your health, stop smoking and limit your alcohol intake to no more than two drinks a day if you’re a man, or one drink a day if you’re a woman.
Research published in The Lancet suggests that smoking contributes to about 2% of dementia cases that could be prevented, while heavy drinking accounts for around 1%. The World Health Organization recommends quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol for better health. Both habits are also linked to heart problems – studies show smoking and drinking too much (more than three drinks daily, according to the American Heart Association) can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Drinking too much alcohol can quickly lead to other health problems, explains Coresh. It contains calories, disrupts sleep, and can encourage further drinking, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries.
There are many good reasons to stop smoking and limit alcohol consumption, or avoid it altogether. Smoking damages every part of your body and causes around 480,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Drinking too much can harm your liver and other organs, and significantly increases your risk of developing cancer.
Stay socially connected
What you can do: Stay in touch with friends and family, volunteer, and join local social groups.
Feeling lonely or disconnected from friends and family – what experts call “social frailty” – may raise your chances of developing dementia. According to Yaffe, staying socially engaged throughout life is just as important for brain health as exercising. Research shows that keeping active can help prevent memory problems and dementia. The World Health Organization now suggests activities like mental exercises, stimulating hobbies, and social events for everyone, including those with normal thinking skills or early signs of cognitive decline.
Staying connected with others can be even more helpful for brain health when paired with other healthy habits. A study called the U.S. POINTER trial, published in JAMA in 2025, looked at ways to reduce dementia risk. Researchers found that combining two lifestyle changes – like exercising regularly, eating a brain-healthy diet (the MIND diet), or being socially active with friends – led to better thinking skills after two years.
Karlawish points out that the study didn’t investigate if these improvements lowered the risk of dementia. However, it did demonstrate that engaging in these activities can boost cognitive skills, especially when it comes to multitasking and problem-solving.
Care for your vision and hearing
Make sure to keep up with your doctor’s appointments, and see a doctor right away if you notice any changes in your vision or hearing.
As a film buff, I’m always thinking about how we experience stories, and it’s fascinating to learn how much our senses play a role in keeping our minds sharp. Apparently, struggling to hear or see well isn’t just a quality-of-life issue – it can actually speed up cognitive decline. I was reading about a big study in The Lancet, and they found that hearing loss is a major factor – accounting for around 7% of things we can actually do something about to protect our brains. They’ve recently added vision loss to that list too, figuring it contributes about 2% to that risk. It really makes you think about how important it is to take care of all your senses!
According to Karlawish, you can begin safeguarding your hearing during middle age by minimizing exposure to loud sounds and wearing noise-canceling headphones. He explains that adopting these habits can definitely lower your chances of experiencing hearing loss in the future.
If you begin to lose your hearing, getting hearing aids quickly could help protect your brain health, particularly if you’re at risk of dementia. A recent study, called ACHIEVE, showed that hearing aids slowed down cognitive decline over three years for certain individuals. According to one of the study’s authors, people most likely to experience cognitive decline saw the biggest benefits.
Those at lower risk of cognitive decline didn’t show enough mental deterioration over three years to experience noticeable improvements in thinking skills. However, they did report feeling less lonely, had a reduced risk of falling, and felt less bothered by their hearing problems, according to the researcher.
Recent studies suggest that vision problems might increase the risk of dementia. While treating vision loss can improve both sight and overall function, more research is needed to confirm this link. Current evidence is based on observations – for example, a 2021 study showed that people with impaired vision were more likely to develop dementia.
Improve the quality of your sleep
Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. If you’re consistently having trouble sleeping, be sure to talk to your doctor.
Although sleep wasn’t a focus of the latest report from The Lancet, Dr. Coresh emphasizes its growing importance for health. Studies have linked poor sleep to heart disease, suggesting that prioritizing sleep can benefit both heart and brain health. While the World Health Organization notes we need more research to specifically recommend sleep treatments for cognitive decline, they do recognize that getting enough quality, restful sleep is essential for overall wellness.
Studies suggest a strong connection between how well you sleep and your brain health, according to Yaffe. Research shows that when animals don’t get enough sleep, they develop a buildup of proteins – tau and amyloid – that are key indicators of Alzheimer’s disease. While more investigation is ongoing, the evidence linking sleep to cognitive health is compelling.
Studies have shown a link between sleep and dementia. For example, a 2026 study co-authored by Yaffe tracked a group of people over many years, asking about their sleep patterns. The results indicated that those who reported poor sleep during middle age were more likely to show signs of Alzheimer’s disease two decades later.
Follow a balanced diet
Eat a diet rich in whole grains, leafy greens, berries, nuts, beans, chicken, and fish. Try to limit foods high in saturated fat, like pastries and red meat.
For a long time, diet wasn’t considered a major factor in dementia risk, but research over the past decade increasingly shows that eating a healthy diet – particularly one like the Mediterranean diet – can be protective. The World Health Organization now officially recommends a balanced and healthy diet to help lower the chances of cognitive decline. According to experts, diet is undeniably crucial for brain health.
The latest recommendations don’t require following a specific diet. However, the MIND diet—a blend of the Mediterranean and DASH diets—is thought to be good for brain health. Studies from Rush University Medical Center and Harvard in 2015 showed that people who ate less saturated fat and more vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, fish, berries, lean proteins, and olive oil experienced slower rates of cognitive decline. Based on these findings, researchers suggest these foods can help improve brain health.
Just like exercise, eating a well-rounded diet is key for a healthy life, according to Yaffe. This can also help control things that increase your risk of dementia, including heart problems, weight gain, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
2026-07-21 15:09