<style>
:root{--dark-base:#0D1B2A;--dark-mid:#1B3A4B;--teal:#0EA5A0;--teal-dark:#0C8C88;--teal-bright:#14D4CD;--fog:#D8E8E8;--deep-fog:#C8DCDC;--fog-border:#A8C4C4;--ink:#313743;--ink-soft:#49505f;--muted:#6b7280;--warm:#9A6841;--warm-light:#be7b4c;--serif:"Source Serif 4",Georgia,serif;--sans:Inter,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",sans-serif}
.w-richtext p,.w-richtext li,.w-richtext td{font-size:20.5px;line-height:1.7;color:var(--ink-soft)}
.w-richtext ul{list-style-type:disc;padding-left:24px;margin:12px 0}
.w-richtext ul li{margin-bottom:8px}
.ac-answer{background:#fff;border:1px solid #D4E4E4;border-top:5px solid var(--teal);border-radius:16px;padding:22px 24px 18px;margin:16px 0 28px;box-shadow:0 6px 22px rgba(13,27,42,.07)}
.ac-answer .aa-eyebrow{font:800 12px/1 var(--sans);letter-spacing:2.5px;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--teal-dark);margin-bottom:8px}
.ac-answer .aa-head{font-family:var(--serif);font-size:24px;line-height:1.2;font-weight:800;color:var(--dark-base);margin:0 0 16px}
.ac-answer .aa-list{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}
.ac-answer .aa-list li{display:flex;gap:12px;align-items:baseline;padding:11px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #EDF3F3;font:700 16.5px/1.4 var(--sans);color:var(--ink)}
.ac-answer .aa-list li:last-child{border-bottom:none}
.ac-answer .aa-n{flex-shrink:0;width:24px;height:24px;border-radius:50%;background:var(--teal-dark);color:#fff;font:800 12px/24px var(--sans);text-align:center}
.ac-answer .aa-food{color:var(--teal-dark);font-weight:800}
.ac-answer .aa-cue{margin-top:18px;text-align:center}
.ac-answer .aa-cta{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;background:var(--teal-dark);color:#fff;font:800 14px/1 var(--sans);letter-spacing:.2px;padding:14px 26px;border-radius:50px;text-decoration:none;box-shadow:0 6px 16px rgba(12,140,136,.30)}
.ac-answer .aa-cta:hover{background:#0A7A76}
.ac-answer .aa-arw{display:inline-block;animation:aa-nudge 1.4s ease-in-out infinite}
@keyframes aa-nudge{0%,100%{transform:translateY(0)}50%{transform:translateY(4px)}}
@media(max-width:560px){.ac-answer{padding:20px 18px 16px}.ac-answer .aa-head{font-size:21px}.ac-answer .aa-list li{font-size:15px}}
.ac-band{margin:56px 0 24px;padding:26px 24px 12px;background:linear-gradient(180deg,#F0F7F7,#fff);border-radius:16px}
.ac-band.hype{background:linear-gradient(180deg,#FAF3EB,#fff)}
.ac-band .inner{display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:center}
.ac-band .big{font:900 72px/1 var(--sans);color:var(--deep-fog);flex-shrink:0}
.ac-band.hype .big{color:#EAD9C6}
.ac-band .q{font:700 13px/1.4 var(--sans);letter-spacing:2px;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--teal-dark)}
.ac-band.hype .q{color:var(--warm)}
.ac-band h3{font-family:var(--serif);font-size:30px;line-height:1.2;font-weight:800;color:var(--ink);margin:0}
.ac-callout{border-left:4px solid var(--teal);background:#F4FAFA;border-radius:0 12px 12px 0;padding:18px 22px;margin:28px 0}
.ac-callout .n{font:800 20px/1.35 var(--sans);color:var(--dark-mid);margin-bottom:6px}
.ac-callout .d{font:500 15px/1.55 var(--sans);color:var(--ink-soft)}
.ac-callout .c{font:600 11.5px/1 var(--sans);letter-spacing:1.5px;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--muted);margin-top:10px}
.ac-plan{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#F4FAFA 0%,#fff 100%);border-left:5px solid var(--teal-dark);border-radius:14px;padding:30px 26px;margin:40px 0 0;box-shadow:0 2px 12px rgba(0,0,0,.06);scroll-margin-top:100px}
.ac-plan .ptitle{font-family:var(--serif);font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:var(--ink);margin-bottom:22px}
.ac-plan .step{display:flex;gap:16px;margin-bottom:18px;align-items:flex-start}
.ac-plan .step .n{min-width:38px;width:38px;height:38px;background:var(--teal-dark);border-radius:50%;color:#fff;font:800 17px/38px var(--sans);text-align:center;flex-shrink:0}
.ac-plan .sh{font:800 16.5px/1.4 var(--sans);color:var(--ink);margin-bottom:3px}
.ac-plan .sd{font:400 15px/1.6 var(--sans);color:var(--muted)}
.ac-plan .actions{border-top:1px solid #D8E8E8;margin-top:16px;padding-top:20px}
.ac-primary-row{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;padding:0 4px}
.ac-btn-primary-wide{flex:1;background:var(--teal);color:#fff;border:1.5px solid var(--teal);border-radius:14px;padding:12px 22px;box-shadow:0 4px 14px rgba(14,165,160,.22);font-family:var(--sans);cursor:pointer;display:grid;grid-template-columns:auto 1fr;gap:14px;align-items:center;transition:all .18s ease}
.ac-btn-primary-wide:hover{background:var(--teal-dark);border-color:var(--teal-dark)}
.ac-btn-primary-wide .icon svg{width:22px;height:22px;color:#fff;display:block}
.ac-btn-primary-wide .label{text-align:left;line-height:1.25}
.ac-btn-primary-wide .label .top{display:block;font-weight:700;font-size:15.5px;color:#fff}
.ac-btn-primary-wide .label .top em{font-style:italic;font-weight:700}
.ac-cal-help{position:relative;flex-shrink:0}
.ac-cal-help summary{list-style:none;width:24px;height:24px;border-radius:50%;background:#E4F1F1;border:1px solid var(--fog-border);color:var(--dark-mid);font:700 13px/22px var(--sans);text-align:center;cursor:pointer;display:block}
.ac-cal-help summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}
.ac-cal-help .tip{position:absolute;right:0;top:32px;z-index:50;width:290px;background:var(--dark-base);color:var(--fog);border-radius:12px;padding:14px 16px;font:500 12.5px/1.55 var(--sans);box-shadow:0 10px 30px rgba(13,27,42,.35)}
.ac-cal-help .tip strong{color:#fff}
.ac-btn-share-wide{display:flex;width:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;gap:10px;background:#fff;color:var(--teal-dark);border:1.5px solid var(--teal-dark);border-radius:14px;padding:12px 22px;margin-top:10px;font:800 15px/1 var(--sans);cursor:pointer}
.ac-btn-share-wide svg{width:18px;height:18px}
.ac-midcap{background:linear-gradient(180deg,#F0F7F7,#fff);border:1.5px solid var(--fog-border);border-radius:16px;padding:24px 22px;margin:34px 0;text-align:center}
.ac-midcap h4{font-family:var(--serif);font-size:22px;font-weight:800;color:var(--ink);margin:0 0 6px}
.ac-midcap .sub{font:500 14px/1.55 var(--sans);color:var(--ink-soft);margin:0 auto 14px;max-width:400px}
.ac-midcap .mcform{display:flex;gap:8px;max-width:400px;margin:0 auto}
.ac-midcap .mcform input{flex:1;border:1.5px solid var(--fog-border);border-radius:50px;padding:12px 18px;font:500 14px/1 var(--sans);min-width:0}
.ac-midcap .mcform button{background:var(--teal-dark);color:#fff;border:none;border-radius:50px;padding:12px 20px;font:800 13.5px/1 var(--sans);cursor:pointer;white-space:nowrap}
.ac-midcap .fine{font:500 11.5px/1.5 var(--sans);color:var(--muted);margin-top:10px}
@media (max-width:520px){.ac-midcap .mcform{flex-direction:column}}
.ac-assess-promo{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#D8E8E8,#C8DCDC);border:1px solid var(--fog-border);border-radius:16px;padding:34px 30px;margin:44px 0;text-align:center}
.ac-assess-promo .eyebrow{color:var(--teal-dark);font:800 12px/1 var(--sans);letter-spacing:2.5px;text-transform:uppercase;margin:0 0 10px}
.ac-assess-promo h4{font-family:var(--serif);color:var(--dark-base);font-size:26px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 12px}
.w-embed .ac-assess-promo p.ap-body,.ac-assess-promo p.ap-body{font-family:Georgia,serif;color:#3A5555;font-size:15.5px;font-weight:500;line-height:1.65;max-width:540px;margin:0 auto 22px}
.ac-assess-promo .ap-cta{display:inline-block;background:var(--teal-bright);color:var(--dark-base);font:800 15px/1 var(--sans);padding:15px 30px;border-radius:50px;text-decoration:none}
.ac-assess-promo .ap-fine{color:#4E6B6B;font:500 13px/1.5 var(--sans);margin:14px 0 0}
.ac-assess-line{border-top:1px solid #E2ECEC;margin-top:30px;padding:22px 10px 0;text-align:center;font:500 15.5px/1.6 var(--sans);color:#3A5555}
.w-embed .ac-assess-line a,.ac-assess-line a{color:var(--teal-dark);font-weight:700;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px}
.ac-articlemeta{font:500 12.5px/1.6 var(--sans);color:#98a0a6;text-align:center;margin:24px 0 0}
.ac-capture{background:linear-gradient(180deg,#F0F7F7,#fff);border:1.5px solid var(--fog-border);border-radius:16px;padding:30px 28px;margin:26px 0 44px;text-align:center}
.ac-capture .cap-state{display:none}
.ac-capture[data-state="trigger"] .st-trigger{display:block}
.ac-capture[data-state="form"] .st-form{display:block}
.ac-capture[data-state="sent"] .st-sent{display:block}
.ac-capture h4{font-family:var(--serif);font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:var(--ink);margin:0 0 8px}
.ac-capture .sub{font:500 15px/1.55 var(--sans);color:var(--ink-soft);margin:0 auto 18px;max-width:430px}
.ac-capture .bigbtn{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;background:var(--teal-dark);color:#fff;border:none;border-radius:50px;padding:16px 30px;font:800 16px/1 var(--sans);cursor:pointer;box-shadow:0 6px 18px rgba(12,140,136,.28)}
.ac-capture .capform{display:flex;gap:10px;max-width:430px;margin:0 auto}
.ac-capture .capform input{flex:1;border:1.5px solid var(--fog-border);border-radius:50px;padding:14px 20px;font:500 15px/1 var(--sans)}
.ac-capture .capform button{background:var(--teal-dark);color:#fff;border:none;border-radius:50px;padding:14px 24px;font:800 14px/1 var(--sans);cursor:pointer}
.ac-capture .sent-check{width:52px;height:52px;border-radius:50%;background:var(--teal);color:#fff;font:800 26px/52px var(--sans);margin:0 auto 12px}
.ac-capture .dl{display:inline-block;margin-top:6px;color:var(--teal-dark);font:700 15px/1 var(--sans);text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer}
.ac-capture .fine{font:500 12px/1.5 var(--sans);color:var(--muted);margin-top:12px}
.ac-sig{margin-top:36px}
.ac-sig .rule{width:60px;height:2px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,var(--teal-dark),var(--teal-bright));margin-bottom:18px;border-radius:2px}
.ac-sig .toyour{font-family:var(--serif);font-size:16px;font-style:italic;color:#777;margin:0 0 10px;padding-left:2px}
.ac-faq{margin-top:40px;border-top:1px solid #e5e7eb;padding-top:30px;margin-bottom:40px}
.ac-faq h2{font-family:var(--serif);font-size:23px;font-weight:800;color:var(--ink);margin:0 0 18px}
.ac-faq details{border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:10px;margin-bottom:10px}
.ac-faq summary{padding:15px 18px;font:700 16px/1.4 var(--sans);color:var(--ink);cursor:pointer;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;list-style:none}
.ac-faq summary:after{content:"\25BE";color:var(--warm)}
.ac-faq .a{padding:0 18px 16px;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65;color:#555}
.article-header-section .article-container{max-width:1080px !important;margin:0 auto !important;padding:0 20px !important}
.article-header-section .article-hero-image{display:block;width:100%;max-width:660px;margin:0}
.article-header-section .article-title{display:block !important;font-family:var(--serif);font-size:32px;line-height:1.25;font-weight:700;color:#313743;margin:20px 0 12px 0;text-align:left;max-width:660px}
@media (max-width:767px){.article-header-section .article-title{font-size:26px}.article-header-section .article-hero-image{max-width:100%}}
@media (max-width:640px){.ac-band .big{font-size:52px}}
@media (max-width:520px){.ac-capture .capform{flex-direction:column}}
.ac-figure{margin:30px 0}.ac-figure img{display:block;width:100%;border-radius:14px;height:auto;aspect-ratio:800/300}.ac-figure figcaption{font:500 13px/1.5 var(--sans);color:var(--muted);margin-top:9px}</style><div class="ac-answer"><div class="aa-eyebrow">What the evidence actually says</div><h2 class="aa-head">Fourteen dementia risk factors can be changed: low education, hearing loss, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, excessive alcohol, head injury, air pollution, social isolation, untreated vision loss and high LDL cholesterol. Together they are tied to about 45 percent of dementia cases worldwide. The five agencies put first are activity, blood sugar, blood pressure, hearing, and tobacco or alcohol.</h2><ol class="aa-list"><li><span class="aa-n">1</span><span><span class="aa-food">Move 150 minutes a week</span> · the federal target, and short bouts through the day count the same</span></li><li><span class="aa-n">2</span><span><span class="aa-food">Manage blood pressure</span> · the factor with the sharpest trial evidence behind it</span></li><li><span class="aa-n">3</span><span><span class="aa-food">Prevent or manage diabetes</span> · too much sugar in the bloodstream damages the brain like any other organ</span></li><li><span class="aa-n">4</span><span><span class="aa-food">Treat hearing loss</span> · hearing aids may lower the risk, and the test is an ordinary appointment</span></li><li><span class="aa-n">5</span><span><span class="aa-food">Limit alcohol and quit smoking</span> · both raise dementia risk directly and through blood pressure</span></li></ol><div class="aa-cue"><a class="aa-cta" href="#coach-recommendations">Get Your Coach's 3-Step Plan <span class="aa-arw">↓</span></a></div></div><p>Dementia is not one disease and it is not a normal part of getting older. What the research keeps finding is that a large share of it traces back to conditions and habits that can be changed. That share now has a number attached to it, and the number is big enough to be worth your afternoon.</p><p>The 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission counted fourteen of those factors. Below is the full fourteen, the five that public health agencies put at the top, and the specific target attached to each one. Nothing on the list is exotic and almost none of it costs money.</p><div class="ac-band"><div class="inner"><div class="big">1</div><div><div class="q">The number that started this</div><h3>Forty Five Percent of Cases Trace Back to Something Changeable</h3></div></div></div><p>Nearly 45 percent of all dementia cases may be prevented or delayed, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/alzheimers-dementia/prevention/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the CDC states</a>, drawing that figure from the 2024 Lancet Commission report. It is a population estimate rather than a personal guarantee. It means that if all fourteen factors were removed from everyone, roughly that share of cases would not happen.</p><p>The practical reading is gentler and more useful. Age is still the strongest known risk factor and nobody can change it. But most of the rest sits inside ordinary medical care and ordinary habits, and risk accumulates across the whole life course, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WHO notes</a>, so the levers stay available rather than closing at a particular birthday.</p><figure class="ac-figure"><img src="https://images.pexels.com/photos/5790818/pexels-photo-5790818.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=800&h=300&fit=crop" alt="A clinician taking an older man's blood pressure at home" width="800" height="300" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><figcaption>Blood pressure is the risk factor with the clearest treatment target attached to it.</figcaption></figure><div class="ac-band"><div class="inner"><div class="big">2</div><div><div class="q">The full list</div><h3>The Fourteen, Named</h3></div></div></div><p>Twelve factors were named in the earlier Commission report and two were added in 2024: untreated vision loss and high LDL cholesterol. The other twelve are low education, hearing loss, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, excessive alcohol, traumatic brain injury, air pollution and social isolation.</p><p><a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WHO</a> sorts the same territory into health conditions, lifestyle factors and environmental exposure, and adds poor sleep and stroke to the first column. The grouping matters less than the pattern. Most of this list is either something a doctor already screens for or something you already have an opinion about.</p><ul><li>Heart and metabolic: high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high LDL cholesterol</li><li>The senses: hearing loss and untreated vision loss</li><li>Habits: smoking, excessive alcohol, physical inactivity</li><li>Brain and social: low education, depression, social isolation, head injury</li><li>Environment: air pollution</li></ul><p>Movement is the lever that pays out in the most places at once. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing dementia, and it also lowers blood pressure, cuts the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, improves sleep quality and reduces the risk of falls, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/health-benefits/adults.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDC summarises</a> from the federal guidelines. Four of those are separately on the fourteen.</p><div class="ac-callout"><div class="n">Nearly 45% of all dementia cases may be prevented or delayed.</div><div class="d">That one line is the whole argument for the list on this page. It is a population estimate rather than a personal promise, and it is still the largest number in dementia prevention.</div><div class="c">CDC, 2024</div></div><div class="ac-band"><div class="inner"><div class="big">3</div><div><div class="q">Where to start</div><h3>Five Habits Sit at the Front of Every Agency List</h3></div></div></div><p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/alzheimers-dementia/prevention/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDC narrows</a> the fourteen down to five lifestyle habits: stay physically active, prevent or manage diabetes, manage blood pressure, prevent or correct hearing loss, and limit alcohol and tobacco. Each carries a number or an action. Adults are advised to get 150 minutes of physical activity a week, which comes out at roughly 20 minutes a day.</p><p>Blood pressure has the sharpest evidence behind it. Decades of observational work tie high blood pressure in midlife to later cognitive decline, and in the SPRINT MIND trial people aged 50 and older who lowered systolic pressure below 120 mmHg reduced their risk of mild cognitive impairment over five years, <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the National Institute on Aging</a> reports.</p><figure class="ac-figure"><img src="https://images.pexels.com/photos/5206942/pexels-photo-5206942.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=800&h=300&fit=crop" alt="A clinician examining a man's ear with an otoscope" width="800" height="300" loading="lazy" decoding="async"><figcaption>Hearing loss is one of the strongest single factors on the list, and hearing aids are the fix.</figcaption></figure><div class="ac-band hype"><div class="inner"><div class="big">4</div><div><div class="q">The one people skip</div><h3>Hearing and Vision Are Doing More Damage Than You Think</h3></div></div></div><p>Hearing loss is a very important risk factor for dementia, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/alzheimers-dementia/prevention/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDC says plainly</a>. The leading explanation is that the brain works harder to hear at the expense of thinking and memory. Hearing loss also pulls people out of conversation, and social isolation is on the fourteen too. Treating it with hearing aids may reduce the risk.</p><p>Untreated vision loss joined the list in 2024 for similar reasons. <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NIA</a> advises treating age related sensory conditions rather than adapting around them. Both are found by an ordinary appointment, both have ordinary treatments, and neither one repairs itself if you wait.</p><ul><li>An annual blood pressure check, because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms</li><li>A hearing test if you are raising the volume or losing conversations in noise</li><li>An eye exam, which catches what a vision chart alone will miss</li><li>Blood sugar and cholesterol on your regular blood panel</li><li>A conversation about medicines that can affect memory, sleep and brain function</li></ul><p>The pattern worth noticing is that the senses, isolation and depression feed each other. Somebody who cannot follow a conversation stops going out, and somebody who stops going out gets lonelier and lower, and both of those are on the fourteen in their own right. Fixing the hearing is often the cheapest way to break that chain.</p><div class="ac-band"><div class="inner"><div class="big">5</div><div><div class="q">What the evidence does not support</div><h3>No Supplement Is Recommended, and Brain Games Are Oversold</h3></div></div></div><p>At this time no vitamin or supplement is recommended for preventing Alzheimer's or other cognitive decline, <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NIA states</a>. Diet results are mixed as well: observational work links Mediterranean and MIND eating patterns to lower dementia risk, but a recent clinical trial found only small cognitive gains, similar to the control group.</p><p>Commercial brain training apps sit in the same category. The large ACTIVE trial found real benefit from reasoning and speed of processing training, but there is not enough evidence that the apps on sale deliver the same thing. Learning something genuinely new, staying socially engaged and moving more all have better support.</p><ul><li>Memory changes that other people have started noticing</li><li>Trouble following conversations or finding ordinary words</li><li>Getting confused or lost in places you know well</li><li>New confusion during or shortly after a hospital stay</li></ul><p>Those four are worth an appointment rather than a wait. Delirium in hospital is often followed by cognitive decline, and depression has been linked to dementia as well, so both deserve treatment in their own right rather than filing under normal aging.</p><div class="ac-midcap"><h4>Take the checklist with you</h4><p class="sub">Your free one-page guide: the fourteen changeable factors, the three checks that find the hidden ones, and the weekly numbers.</p><div class="mcform"><input type="email" placeholder="Your email address" aria-label="Email address"><button type="button">Send My Plan (Free)</button></div><div class="fine">One email. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.</div></div><div class="ac-assess-promo"><p class="eyebrow">Free Lifestyle Assessment</p><h4>How Healthy Is Your Current Lifestyle?</h4><p class="ap-body">Answer honestly for five minutes and walk away with your personal scorecard: all six areas of your health rated, the one that needs your attention first, and a 30-day plan built from your answers. It shows up the second you finish.</p><a class="ap-cta" href="/#assessment">See How the Assessment Works →</a><p class="ap-fine">Free. About 5 minutes. Your results appear instantly.</p></div><div class="ac-plan" id="coach-recommendations"><div class="ptitle">📋 Your Coach's Recommendations</div><div class="step"><div class="n">1</div><div><div class="sh">Book the three checks that find the hidden risks</div><div class="sd">Blood pressure, a hearing test and an eye exam. High blood pressure usually causes no symptoms you can feel, and hearing and vision loss are both on the fourteen. Add blood sugar and cholesterol to your next blood panel.</div></div></div><div class="step"><div class="n">2</div><div><div class="sh">Bank 150 minutes of movement every week</div><div class="sd">That is the federal target for all adults, about 20 minutes a day. Short bouts through the day count exactly the same as one long session, so walking counts, chores count and classes count.</div></div></div><div class="step"><div class="n">3</div><div><div class="sh">Treat what the checks find, hearing first</div><div class="sd">Hearing aids may reduce dementia risk, and treating hearing loss also keeps you in conversation, which is its own protective factor. Manage blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol with your clinician rather than with supplements.</div></div></div><div class="actions"><div class="ac-primary-row"><button type="button" class="ac-btn-primary-wide" data-ac-cal><span class="icon"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><rect x="3" y="4" width="18" height="18" rx="2"></rect><path d="M16 2v4M8 2v4M3 10h18"></path></svg></span><span class="label"><span class="top">Add <em>Your Coach's Recommendations to Your Calendar</em></span></span></button><details class="ac-cal-help"><summary aria-label="What does this do?">?</summary><div class="tip"><strong>How it works.</strong> Just a quiet check-in, not an alert and not a recurring nag. The event lands as a 30-minute slot at 9am two weeks from today, with your plan in the notes and a link back to this article. Works with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Outlook. Yours to move, snooze, or delete whenever.</div></details></div><button type="button" class="ac-btn-share-wide" data-ac-share><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M4 12v8a2 2 0 002 2h12a2 2 0 002-2v-8"></path><polyline points="16 6 12 2 8 6"></polyline><line x1="12" y1="2" x2="12" y2="15"></line></svg> Share this article</button></div></div><div class="ac-capture" data-state="trigger" data-article-slug="dementia-risk-factors-the-14-you-can-actually-change" data-pdf-url="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69be1026a027224999b7936b/6a83b0386e2a1076571be93c_ac-dementia-risk-checklist.pdf" data-plan-title="The Dementia Risk Checklist" data-plan-desc="The fourteen changeable risk factors, the three checks that find the hidden ones, and the weekly numbers."><div class="st-trigger cap-state"><h4>Keep this checklist</h4><p class="sub">Get the one-page guide: all fourteen factors, the three appointments to book, and the numbers to aim at.</p><button class="bigbtn" type="button" data-cap="form">📩 Email Me This Plan (Free PDF)</button><div class="fine">One email. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.</div></div><div class="st-form cap-state"><h4>Where should we send it?</h4><p class="sub">Your dementia risk checklist, straight to your inbox.</p><form class="capform"><input type="email" name="email" required placeholder="Your email address" aria-label="Email address"><button type="submit">Send My Plan</button></form><div class="fine">We send the plan plus one short evidence brief each week. Unsubscribe anytime.</div></div><div class="st-sent cap-state"><div class="sent-check">✓</div><h4>It is on the way</h4><p class="sub">Check your inbox in the next minute. Your first Ageless Brief arrives this week: one study, translated, no hype.</p><a class="dl" href="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69be1026a027224999b7936b/6a83b0386e2a1076571be93c_ac-dementia-risk-checklist.pdf" download>⬇ Download your plan (PDF)</a></div></div><div class="ac-sig"><div class="rule"></div><p class="toyour">To your health,</p><svg width="320" height="72" viewBox="0 0 320 72" role="img" aria-label="Ageless Coach. Age Strong. Live Long." xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><defs><clipPath id="acSigIconClip"><rect x="0" y="6" width="60" height="60" rx="12" ry="12"/></clipPath></defs><image x="0" y="6" width="60" height="60" clip-path="url(#acSigIconClip)" preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid slice" href="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69be1026a027224999b7936b/6a0b22c6afd5d6fd115b9c1a_ac-closing-brand-icon.webp" xlink:href="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69be1026a027224999b7936b/6a0b22c6afd5d6fd115b9c1a_ac-closing-brand-icon.webp"/><text x="76" y="42" style="font-family:Inter,system-ui,-apple-system,'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:27px;letter-spacing:-0.3px"><tspan style="font-weight:800;fill:#0D1B2A">Ageless</tspan><tspan style="font-weight:300;fill:rgba(13,27,42,0.6)">Coach</tspan><tspan dy="-12" style="font-size:16px;font-weight:600;fill:rgba(13,27,42,0.6)">™</tspan></text><text x="76" y="60" style="font-family:Inter,system-ui,-apple-system,'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:10.5px;letter-spacing:2.5px;font-weight:500;fill:#0C8C88;text-transform:uppercase">AGE STRONG. LIVE LONG.</text></svg></div><div class="ac-faq"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2><details><summary>How many dementia risk factors can you actually change?</summary><div class="a">Fourteen, according to the 2024 Lancet Commission report. Together they are associated with about 45 percent of dementia cases worldwide. Age, the strongest risk factor of all, is not one of them.</div></details><details><summary>Which dementia risk factor should I tackle first?</summary><div class="a">CDC puts five at the front: physical activity, diabetes, blood pressure, hearing loss, and alcohol and tobacco. Blood pressure has the sharpest evidence, and hearing is the one people most often ignore.</div></details><details><summary>Does treating hearing loss really lower dementia risk?</summary><div class="a">It may. CDC calls hearing loss a very important risk factor and states that treating it with hearing aids may reduce the risk. The proposed mechanisms are extra effort spent on hearing and less social engagement.</div></details><details><summary>What blood pressure number matters for the brain?</summary><div class="a">In the SPRINT MIND trial, adults aged 50 and older who lowered systolic pressure below 120 mmHg reduced their risk of mild cognitive impairment over five years. Your own target is set with your clinician.</div></details><details><summary>Do supplements or brain training apps prevent dementia?</summary><div class="a">No supplement is currently recommended for preventing Alzheimer's or cognitive decline, per NIA. Commercial brain training apps also lack the evidence behind the structured training used in research trials.</div></details><details><summary>Is this medical advice?</summary><div class="a">No. This article is educational and is not a substitute for your clinician. Dementia risk is personal, and screening, blood pressure targets and treatment decisions belong in a conversation with a professional.</div></details></div><div class="ac-assess-line">Curious where you stand? Take the free <a href="/#assessment">5-minute lifestyle assessment</a> and your personal scorecard appears the second you finish.</div><p class="ac-articlemeta">By the Ageless Coach Editorial Team · Published August 17, 2026 · Last updated August 17, 2026</p>
Get Better Health, Weekly