How to lower your risk of dementia

With these lifestyle changes you can help keep your brain in top shape and could reduce your risk for dementia.

Have you ever forgotten your password or pin number and felt frustrated that your memory is not as sharp as it used to be? These common thinking blips can kick in due to stress, lack of sleep, depression and some medications, but when those factors are gone, our brain soon gets back on track.

Changes that occur with dementia can be different and include ongoing deterioration of memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities.

In 2022, dementia affected an estimated 487,500 Australians, according to Dementia Australia, and it’s more common in people over 65. It’s also more common in women: worldwide, twice as many women as men have dementia.

The term describes symptoms of a large group of illnesses (including Alzheimer’s disease) that cause a progressive decline in a person’s cognitive function.

Unfortunately, there’s no cure for the condition, but as science continues to decode dementia causes and prevention, we’re learning more about risk factors for dementia. The good news is that around 40% of dementia cases may be preventable through lifestyle tweaks.

“If Australians adopted healthier lifestyles, we could keep our brains in better shape for longer, delaying changes that cause dementia,” agrees Professor Kaarin Anstey, senior principal researcher at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and UNSW Sydney. “This would mean better dementia prevention in people as they age.”

Here's a rundown on simple brain-friendly habits you can adopt to reduce your risk factors for dementia.

Quit smoking

Dementia risk: Smoking increases your risk of heart disease, which puts people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia – the most common types of dementia.

A large study showed that smoking causes changes to thinking and memory. This cumulative damage affects women more than men and may start as young as 18.

What you can do: "Avoid habits like smoking that can damage vascular health, because what’s good for your heart is good for your brain," says Maree McCabe, CEO of Dementia Australia.

Speak to your GP about getting help to quit smoking – once smokers break the habit, they no longer have an increased risk of dementia.

Increase physical activity

Dementia risk: Have you hit the gym or pounded the pavement lately? Not doing enough physical exercise can increase your risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes – all risk factors for dementia.

What you can do: Physical activity in middle age is associated with a 30% reduction in dementia risk. So, do virtual workouts at home, walk daily or play a team sport.

Aussie adults should aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week. What does moderate intensity mean? In short, you’re working hard, but not too hard.

Across the week, try to accumulate 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity. The national guidelines also recommend muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week.

"If you’re physically active, you’re less likely to develop diabetes and high blood pressure – two key risk factors for dementia," says Prof Anstey. "Physical activity increases oxygen circulation to your brain and appears to help growth of new cells in the brain regions that deal with memory."

Boost brain activity

Dementia risk: When was the last time you learned something new or did something mentally challenging like a tricky word puzzle? An under-stimulated mind can lead to poor brain health.

What you can do: Challenge your brain by learning a foreign language, joining a dance class or reading the news every day.

"Learning new activities strengthens connections between brain cells and increases the volume of the brain," says Maree. "The greater the volume of the brain, the longer dementia will take to develop and progress."

Adopt a better diet

Dementia risk: Eating too many foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat, and low in fibre can increase your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and obesity – again, all higher risk factors for dementia.

What you can do: "Eat a healthy diet, which includes green leafy vegetables daily, berries, fish at least once per week and minimal processed food, contains polyphenols and other nutrients that protect brain health," says Prof Anstey.

The Mediterranean diet has been linked with a reduced risk of dementia. “It contains plenty of fresh fruit and vegies, legumes, unrefined grains, olive oil, and a moderate intake of fish, eggs, chicken and dairy,” she says.

“If you’re able to lose a little weight following these eating plans, even better, as this will reduce risk of dementia further,” says Maree.

If you’re an eligible HCF member, carrying extra weight and are at risk of developing a chronic condition, you may be able to access our Healthy Weight for Life Essentials program for free*. You'll be led by trained dietitians and allied health practitioners to help you manange your weight. 

Get more social interaction

Dementia risk: Social interaction helps reduce feelings of social isolation and loneliness, which are linked to a 50% increased risk of dementia.

Depression can be both an early sign of dementia and a factor that increases the risk of developing dementia. So spending time with friends or family is important for maintaining good cognitive health.

What you can do: Find ways to be social in your everyday life, even if you can only catch up via video chat. If you work in an office, enjoy morning tea with colleagues or a virtual video lunch with teammates if you work from home.

Schedule time in your diary to see friends and family while walking, at a café or sharing a home-cooked meal.

"Being socially engaged is really important, because we know social isolation can lead to depression," says Maree.

If you need to make new connections, try a walking group, book club or volunteering. You can also build connections online, for example through your suburb’s Facebook community group or through an online support group.

Aim for better sleep

Dementia risk: Is one more episode of that latest TV show preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep? It might be time to rethink your habits.

“When we don’t get enough sleep we deprive the brain of time to do all its ‘housework’, such as storing important memories from the day for future use and clearing out harmful proteins that may contribute to dementia,” says Professor Sharon Naismith, NHMRC dementia leadership fellow and director of the Healthy Brain Ageing Program at the University of Sydney.

“Sleep also helps protect against dementia by reducing inflammation in the body and keeping brain cells healthier,” she adds.

What you can do: Practise good sleep hygiene. “Rise and retire at similar times each day to set your body clock to dark and light,” says Prof Naismith.

“Minimise screen time and use lamps to reduce light [before bed] at night, as this suppresses the ‘sleep hormone’, melatonin, which drops your body temperature to help you fall asleep faster.”

Unwind before bed, keep your room dark and don’t sleep with too many blankets or your electric blanket on – overheating can make you nod off slower and wake up more often. Aim to get seven to eight hours of sleep a night – six hours or less can increase dementia risk.

The Sleepfit app can help you identify sleep issues and recommend improvements. Eligible HCF members^ with hospital or extras cover can get a 20% discount on a 12 month Sleepfit subscription.

Drink less alcohol

Dementia risk: Drinking to excessive levels – defined as more than 10 standard drinks a week or more than four standard drinks a day – can cause harmful brain changes.

“Having too much alcohol may reduce white matter (which helps to send signals between different parts of the brain) and reduce the brain’s level of grey matter (which processes information),” Prof Naismith explains.

What you can do: “Reduce alcohol intake and avoid drinking too much alcohol in one night,” says Prof Naismith.

Keep your intake to less than 10 standard drinks over the week and have two alcohol-free days. Switch to drinking spritzers (half wine/half mineral water), sip water between chardonnays and beers, and keep spirits to a minimum, as they have higher alcohol content.

For help changing your drinking habits, try the Daybreak app. The free app gives you access to 24/7 digital support and anonymously connects you to a like-minded community.

Pay attention to hearing loss

Dementia risk: Untreated hearing loss has been linked to a higher level of dementia.

“This may be directly due to the loss of sound stimulation on the hearing pathways and other areas of the brain, which can, in turn, reduce some brain function,” says Prof Naismith.

For example, when we hear a song we liked in our 20s, it will also stimulate parts of the brain associated with memories.

What you can do: If you’ve started having trouble hearing some sounds or chit chat, try an online hearing test and see your GP and a hearing specialist.

“They can check if you need hearing aids, which may help lower risk of dementia,” Prof Naismith says. “People using hearing aids tend to socialise more and enjoy that contact because they can fully join in the conversation and it’s well established that this social contact helps protect against dementia.”

HCF members with extras cover may also be eligible for a free hearing assessment either online or at one of Connect Hearing’s more than 130 clinics all over the country (not available in NT and Tas).

Minimise exposure to air pollution

Dementia risk: “In the last few years, studies have suggested a link between air pollution and dementia, but this is still not fully understood,” says Prof Naismith. “Until we know more, it certainly can’t hurt to be mindful of reducing your exposure to pollution.”

What you can do: Jog and walk as far away as possible from busy roads, and do your workouts outside peak hour.

On high-pollution days, work from home if possible and work out at home or the gym. If you’re a mouth-breather, retrain yourself to breathe through your nose, which is designed to filter out particles, like pollution, from the air you breathe.

Dementia can impact your mental health. If you’re feeling depressed or anxious and need to talk to someone right now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Eligible HCF members can also get a free HealthyMinds Check-in with a PSYCH2U psychologist^#.

A GP at your fingertips

If you’re concerned about your risk of dementia, see your GP. Through our partnership with GP2U, all HCF members with health cover can access a standard online video GP consultation (up to 10 minutes) for a fee of $50. See hcf.com.au/gp2u for more information. 

Words by Angela Tufvesson and Stephanie Osfield
Updated August 2022