Memory Loss
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Lower your dementia risk

Doctors who study dementia name 14 things linked to nearly half of all cases. Tick the ones that apply to you; the page lists one next step for each, to bring to your doctor.

What this page is

Which of these apply to you now?

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All 14, with a next step

  1. Hard of hearing, without hearing aids. Get your hearing tested. If you have hearing loss, ask about hearing aids, and turn down loud noise.
  2. High LDL ("bad") cholesterol, or never had it checked. From about age 40, have LDL cholesterol checked, and treated if it is high.
  3. Trouble seeing that has not been checked or treated. Have your eyes checked; cataracts and other causes of vision loss can often be treated.
  4. High blood pressure. Check your blood pressure and ask your doctor about treating it if it is high.
  5. Diabetes. Ask your doctor whether your diabetes is well treated.
  6. Smoking. Stopping helps at any age. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) for help to quit.
  7. Drinking a lot of alcohol. Cut down. Ask your doctor for help if it is hard.
  8. Little physical activity. Move more: regular exercise is one of the habits the Commission names.
  9. Obesity. Ask your doctor about a weight plan that fits you.
  10. Depression. Depression can be treated. Tell your doctor; if you are in crisis, call or text 988.
  11. Often alone, little contact with others. Look for regular contact: a group, a class, a place of worship, a volunteer job.
  12. Head injuries, or contact sports and biking without a helmet. Wear a helmet on a bike and protect your head in contact sports.
  13. Fewer years of school. It is never too late to keep your mind active: learning something new in midlife counts.
  14. Living with a lot of air pollution or smoke. Limit time outside on bad air days and keep smoke out of the home where you can.

Source: Lancet Commission 2024 · UCL summary

Next stops

Already noticing memory slips?The two-minute self-check shows whether your pattern is worth raising with a doctor.Bring it to the visitOne page with what you noticed and your questions, kept on this device.Check a blood pressure readingEnter your numbers and see what they mean and what to do first.

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