12 lifestyle factors linked to delaying and even preventing up to 40% of dementia cases

A report from the Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care analyzed the latest evidence largely from high income countries and found that 12 lifestyle factors could help delay and even prevent up to 40% of dementia cases (the authors acknowledge that some risk factors for dementia cannot be changed, for example particular genes or ethnicity).

The 12 lifestyle factors that significantly reduce the risk:

• Reduce neuropathological damage (amyloid or tau-mediated, vascular or inflammatory) by

  1 Minimising diabetes

  2 Treating hypertension

  3 Preventing head injuries

  4 Stopping smoking

  5 Reducing air pollution

  6 Reducing midlife obesity

• Increase and maintain cognitive reserve by

  7 Treating hearing impairment

  8 Maintaining social contact

  9 Attaining a high level of education (can be achieved throughout the life cycle)

• The following lifestyle factors fall into both categories of reducing neuropathological damage and increasing and maintaining cognitive reserve by

  10 Maintaining frequent exercise

  11 Reducing the occurrence of depression

  12 Avoiding excessive alcohol