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If You're Over 45, These Are the Biggest Dementia Risk Factors, Study Finds

Researchers advise focusing on four easy lifestyle changes to lower your risk of this cognitive disease.

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Dana Schulz
By Dana SchulzJan 06, 2025
Dana Schulz
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
Dana Schulz is an experienced editor, writer, and content strategist who is just as likely to be crunching the ...
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The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease: Potentially Modifiable Dementia Risk Factors in Canada: An Analysis of Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging with a Multi-Country Comparison

NIH: Lack of sleep in middle age may increase dementia risk

NIH: Hearing aids slow cognitive decline in people at high risk

Especially at this time of year, our physical health is top of mind. We know we should exercise to keep our hearts healthy, avoid ultra-processed foods for a healthy gut, and get a good night's sleep for almost all aspects of our well-being. Still, we tend to put our brain health on the back burner. You may have heard that doing crossword puzzles and staying social can keep your mind sharp, but as it turns out, there's a lot more to it than that. In fact, you may want to start thinking about your cognitive health sooner rather than later, as a new study identified the biggest dementia risk factors if you're 45 or older.

RELATED: 6 Foods That Can Lower Your Dementia Risk, Science Says.

Prevention may be the "most effective" dementia treatment.

The new research was published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease. Researchers from the Lawson Research Institute and Western University in Canada built on a 2017 study that identified "12 modifiable risk factors" that could "contribute to 40 percent of dementias around the world," according to a press release.

"If half of the dementia cases in Canada are linked to modifiable lifestyle risk factors, this suggests that, today, prevention may be the most effective form of treatment," said Manuel Montero-Odasso, MD, co-author of the paper and director of the Brain & Gait Lab at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute.

He continued, "Dementia doesn’t have to be your destiny, even if that’s part of your genetic story. Our results from the SYNERGIC Trial [show] almost everyone can change their risk factors and improve their cognitive resilience."

These are 12 preventable risk factors—and the 4 biggest.

The researchers analyzed health data from 30,097 Canadian adults aged 45 years and older (with a mean age of 59.7 years). Of these participants, 52 percent were women, 94 percent were white, 90 percent lived in urban areas, and 74 percent were married.

They identified the following 12 modifiable risk factors and their corresponding average risk percentages:

  1. Physical inactivity: 10.2%
  2. Hearing loss: 6.5%
  3. Obesity: 6.4%
  4. Hypertension: 6.2%
  5. Traumatic brain injury: 4.4%
  6. Depression 4.0%
  7. Less education in early life: 3.2%
  8. Sleep disturbances
  9. Diabetes: 2.5%
  10. Smoking: 1.5%
  11. Excessive alcohol: 0.9%
  12. Social isolation: 0.4%
Researchers concluded that nearly 50 percent of all dementia cases in Canada can be attributed to these 12 risk factors, with risk increasing with age. They specifically stressed the importance of the first four on the list and recommended prioritizing how to address later-life physical inactivity, mid-life hearing loss, mid-life obesity, and mid-life hypertension.
"Go out for a walk and keep moving. Get a hearing assessment. Keep your blood pressure in check. It’s low-cost and easy to implement. It’s good for your body health, even beyond improving your brain health and reducing your dementia risk," Montero-Odasso advised.
Of course, these results are specific to Canadian adults. However, given that the lifestyle factors aren't incredibly different from those in the U.S., the study is a good marker for overall cognitive health.

This is the first study to link sleep disruption and dementia.

According to the press release, this is the first study globally to include sleep disruption as a modifiable dementia risk factor for people as young as 45.
However, a previous study published in 2021 found that people in their 50s and 60s who got six or fewer hours of sleep per night were 30 percent more likely to develop dementia later in life than those getting seven or more hours, reported the National Institute of Health's (NIH) National Institute on Aging (NIA).

The association between hearing loss and dementia is also notable.

In recent years, the association between hearing loss and dementia has become more notable.
Research published in 2023 showed that when adults aged 70 to 84 who were at high risk for dementia utilized hearing aids, their rate of cognitive decline was reduced by 50 percent.
But again, the new body of research highlights the need to address hearing loss earlier in life to prevent dementia later.

The Takeaway

A new study out of Canada identified 12 modifiable risk factors for dementia in people aged 45 and older. The researchers say the four biggest risk factors are physical inactivity, hearing loss, obesity, and hypertension, and they recommend addressing these symptoms as early as possible.
This is also the first study to link sleep disruption and dementia in this age group, and it's part of a growing body of research about the connection between hearing loss and dementia.

We offer the most up-to-date information from top experts, new research, and health agencies, but our content is not meant to be a substitute for professional guidance. When it comes to the medication you're taking or any other health questions you have, always consult your healthcare provider directly.

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Sources referenced in this article

The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease: Potentially Modifiable Dementia Risk Factors in Canada: An Analysis of Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging with a Multi-Country Comparison

NIH: Lack of sleep in middle age may increase dementia risk

NIH: Hearing aids slow cognitive decline in people at high risk

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