The over 85s are the fastest-growing demographic in all of the world’s developed economies. People living to 100 years and beyond are also steadily increasing. This is good news. However, a greater proportion of elderly patients today are visiting their doctors for help with a variety of age-related health issues, including dementia.

This raises difficult questions for individuals, families and society about how to provide adequate physical, mental and spiritual care for the elderly.
Dementia is a condition in which memory functions are impaired, leading to a progressive, and usually irreversible, decline in cognitive abilities.

Non-modifiable dementia risk factors include genetics, age, and childhood conditions such as social, cultural, environmental and economic factors.

The good news is that there are modifiable risk factors that you can improve now, regardless of your age. Here we have gathered 40 of the most accessible ones covering physical, mental, and spiritual fitness.

By taking this easy self-assessment test, you can see at a glance which of the 40 lifestyle Index factors to focus on and help reduce your risk of experiencing future dementia.
For each factor below, rate yourself from 1 to 5, where 1 means Unsatisfactory and 5 is Highly Satisfactory.
For items on which you score 3 or above, keep up the good work.

For those on which you score less than 3, note them down, learn more about them, and start working on them now.
Don’t be discouraged if you see more low scores than you expected. It’s never too late to change your lifestyle for the better. By starting now, you can age as a happier, healthier person and lower your dementia risk.

© K.A. Bannis and M.I. Elmasry, 2024.

Kareem Bannis, MD, is an American Consultant Geriatrician practicing in Phoenix, Arizona.

Mohamed Elmasry, PhD, is a Canadian academic with international expertise in Artificial Neural Networks and author of iMind: Artificial and Real Intelligence (Routledge, 2024)