By 2040, it is estimated that 1.4 million people in the UK will be living with dementia. And while there’s no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, research shows that certain lifestyle choices and health strategies can lower the risk or delay its onset, especially if you start in your 40s to 60s.
So what steps can you take now to help you stay sharper for longer, and reduce your risk of dementia? Here are seven actions that are widely recommended by medical experts:
- Keep mentally agile
- Stay physically fit
- Eat brain-healthy foods
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Manage your stress levels
- Look after your health
- Build your social circle
Let’s now find out why each is so important for good brain health, and get tips on what you can do.
1) Keep mentally agile
Research in the US has discovered that keeping your brain active with reading, writing and playing games as you get older can help to delay the onset of dementia by up to five years.
And with changes in the brain associated with dementia beginning many years before symptoms appear, it’s important to start taking action as early as you can. That can be anything from a daily Wordle, to learning a new language, skill or musical instrument. It could also include volunteering.
2) Stay physically fit
It’s not just your brain that will benefit from a daily workout. An analysis of the results of 58 studies into exercise and dementia revealed that people who take regular exercise may be up to 20% less likely to develop dementia than people who are inactive.
So what kind of physical exercise should you be doing? Many of the studies focused on aerobic exercise – an activity that increases your heart rate, performed for 20–30 minutes at a time. This exercise was performed several times a week for at least a year.
But ‘physical exercise’ doesn’t just mean playing a sport or running. It can also include walking quickly, gardening, and even cooking and cleaning. The important thing is to find an activity you enjoy and can maintain.
3) Eat brain-healthy foods
A UK study published in 2023 found that eating a Mediterranean diet can help to reduce the risk of dementia by almost a quarter – even if you have a higher genetic predisposition to dementia.
This means reducing your consumption of meat and dairy, and eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals, beans, nuts, and ‘healthy’ fats like olive oil. Reducing your sugar intake is also important. If you’re not sure where to start with a healthy diet, Alzehimer’s Research UK recommends using the Eatwell Guide.
4) Get a good night’s sleep
A study at Harvard Medical School, published in 2021, found that people who slept fewer than five hours per night were twice as likely to develop dementia, and twice as likely to die, compared to those who slept six to eight hours per night.
Another European study discovered that consistently sleeping six hours or less at age 50, 60 and 70 was linked to a 30% increase in dementia risk.
So if you consistently struggle with insomnia, it’s important to tackle it. The NHS shares some tips and how to get help here.
5) Manage your stress levels
As well as making your life miserable right now, research has shown that chronic stress and depression could increase your risk of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease.
If you are struggling with chronic stress or depression, you may benefit from speaking to your doctor. This article helpfully guides you through the decision of when to see a GP, and what you can do to help yourself.
Research has also explored how mind-body therapies, such as mindfulness, yoga, and meditation, can “act as a barrier for neurodegenerative processes and diminish the progression” of Alzheimer Disease by reducing stress, improving cognitive functions, and building neuroplasticity.
6) Look after your health
For some people, midlife hypertension is a risk factor for dementia, especially vascular dementia. So make sure you keep your blood pressure within a healthy range. Some simple lifestyle changes to help reduce high blood pressure include:
- Losing weight
- Exercising
- Reducing your salt intake
- Cutting back on caffeine
- Drinking less alcohol
- Stopping smoking
Your doctor may also prescribe medication to reduce your blood pressure.
According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, “If everyone managed their cholesterol levels, there’d be seven fewer cases of dementia for every 100 people who develop it now.”
If you’re not sure what your cholesterol levels are, it’s important to get them checked so you can either make lifestyle changes (see the recommendations for high blood pressure above) or get help from your doctor if needed, as high cholesterol can run in families.
7) Build your social circle
According to research, loneliness is linked to a 50% higher risk of developing dementia. Social interaction can help to build your cognitive reserve which one 2025 study found can help to delay the onset of dementia by up to five years.
A rich social circle may be formed of family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues. People you have known for years, and people you enjoy a few minutes chat with on the odd occasion you bump into them.
If you are feeling socially isolated there are a number of ways you can beat loneliness:
- Spend more quality time with family and friends
- Reach out to people you have lost touch with
- Join a local or online group
- Volunteer
- Get to know your neighbours
Initially it might take courage to reach out to others, but with some effort you’ll soon find yourself nurturing rewarding relationships with others.
Start building a dementia-beating lifestyle today
As you can see, there is a lot you can do in your 40s and beyond to help reduce your risk of dementia. And the good news is that you won’t just help to potentially slow down any cognitive decline, but you’ll enjoy better health and a richer, more enjoyable life in middle age too!
