Want To Lower Your Dementia Risk? Get These 3 Factors Under Control.

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. Butsome 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.

Risk factor #1: Not enough exercise

We all know that the benefits of getting the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week extend far beyond maintaining or losing weight. And one of those benefits is lowering your dementia risk.

”Obesity, hypertension and diabetes are associated with up to 50% of dementia cases,” Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone,a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, told HuffPost. “It follows that improving risk factors, such as [sedentary] lifestyles that contribute to developing those conditions, could significantly decrease dementia rates.”

In addition to helping to control obesity, hypertension and diabetes, Pascual-Leone said, physical exercise might also help promote the formation of new brain cells. “This improves the efficacy of the mechanisms of brain plasticity, which are critical for the acquisition of new skills and the formation of memories,” he said.

Don’t know where to begin with exercise? Pascual-Leone said that if you haven’t exercised in a while, you should talk to your doctor or physical therapist to help you get a safe start.

“Aerobic, strength