Dementia is extremely common. According to a 2022 study, a startling 10% of adults in the United States over the age of 65 have dementia, and another 22% have mild cognitive impairment. And dementia risk only increases as we get older: Thirty-five percent of people over the age of 90 are living with dementia.
The condition isn’t entirely preventable — age, genetics, and environmental influences can all play a role. But some lifestyle-related risk factors are within your control. Below, neurologists share the three most important risk factors to address if you want to prevent dementia, and the best steps you can start taking today.
