Dementia risk factors and risk reduction

Last Updated: September 5, 2024

Beth Britton explores the risk factors for developing dementia and considers how you can reduce your risk

With the increased profile of dementia in the last few years, more people than ever before are aware of what dementia is and are often very fearful about themselves or a loved one developing it.

Some people believe that dementia is an inevitable part of ageing and that nothing can be done to prevent developing it, but this year’s World Alzheimer’s Month is aiming to challenge that view by shining a light on risk factors and risk reduction. By doing this, Alzheimer’s Disease International hope that individuals may be empowered to take action to avoid developing dementia but also, if they are already living with dementia, to be aware of ongoing risk reduction so that they can live as well as possible.

Am I at risk of developing dementia?

Statistically it is believed that 1 in 14 people aged over 65 has dementia in the UK. This rises to 1 in 6 for people aged over 80. Around 900,000 people are living with dementia in the UK currently, a number that is predicted to rise to over 1 million by 2025.

In the UK, dementia was the leading cause of death in 2022 and has been the leading cause of death for women since 2011. But if this picture seems rather bleak, the antidote to that is the work that remains ongoing to understand the factors that are believed to contribute to developing dementia. Much like the research that’s gone into understanding more about heart health and different types of cancer, knowing the changes we can make to our lives to reduce our risk is something many people are interested in.

What do we know about the main risk factors for developing dementia?

Alzheimer’s Disease International have produced an excellent infographic detailing 12 dementia risk factors, which are:

Physical inactivity
Smoking
Excessive alcohol consumption
Air pollution
Head injury
Infrequent social contact
Less education
Obesity
Hypertension (High blood pressure)
Diabetes
Depression
Hearing impairment

These risk factors come from the work The Lancet produced on risk-reduction that was last updated in 2020.

How can I reduce my risk of developing dementia?

To reduce risk, it’s important to focus on modifiable risk factors, IE the things that we can influence in our lives to a greater or lesser extent.

When The Lancet first published their findings into risk factors for dementia it made headlines for identifying that hearing loss is considered to be the biggest modifiable risk factor for developing dementia. The RNID have gone on to encourage people to take their online hearing test – which I’ve done and you can read about here – with the intention that if hearing loss can be identified and corrected early it can help with reducing a person’s risk of developing dementia.

Other risks that can be tackled include:

Getting support for smoking cessation/ and reducing alcohol consumption
Regularly checking your blood pressure
Following advice to avoid developing diabetes or managing existing diabetes as well as possible
Identifying and getting support with depression/
Finding ways to be more physically active
Tackling loneliness and isolation. This topic is expanded upon further in my Care Choices blogs, ‘Combatting loneliness amongst older people’ and ‘Getting connected – Digital skills for older people’.

How can this make a difference to me or my loved one if we already have dementia?

When dementia risk-reduction is talked about it often focuses solely on trying to avoid developing dementia. This historic approach has unfairly excluded people with dementia, so it’s refreshing to see ongoing risk reduction as part of the World Alzheimer’s Month focus.

Many people who’ve developed dementia will automatically take some of the risk-reduction steps – like those around the lifestyle factors of smoking, drinking, diet and exercise – with the aim of living as well as possible with their dementia. It’s important to stress that all good health advice will likely help a person with dementia to have the best quality of life possible. However, we should also bear in mind that some people, when faced with a diagnosis of dementia, may wish to lead their life without any restrictions and individual choice and control remains paramount. A person may also struggle to participate in hearing tests, wear hearing aids, or manage conditions like diabetes or hypertension well.

For more tips and advice on living with dementia, read my Care Choices blogs:

‘Living with memory loss – Tips for managing day-to-day’

‘Living with dementia when you are under 65’

‘Supporting a person with dementia to walk’

What should I do if I’m concerned myself or a loved one may be developing dementia?

The first step is to speak to your GP. They will ask about your symptoms (you may want to complete the Alzheimer’s Society Symptoms Checklist before your appointment), conduct a basic memory test and order some blood tests. They may suggest a referral to a Memory Clinic and request a brain scan. My Care Choices blog ‘Speaking up about dementia’ provides more information about dementia assessments.

It may be worth asking your GP if the risk reduction advice above that’s applicable to you is something to begin now (if you haven’t already). This might include getting a hearing check, joining a weight loss programme, working on your physical fitness, seeing your diabetic nurse for a check-up or managing your depression better. If you are going for further tests at a Memory Clinic, talk to them about your hearing if you’re having problems with it as this can influence how you experience your appointment and the assessments the clinic staff conduct.