Most Americans don't know how to prevent dementia. Here's what you can do.

By Jessica Hall

'Brain health is a lifelong commitment - it's never too early or too late to start'

An estimated 7.4 million people aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's, the Alzheimer's Association said.

Dementia is not inevitable. Activities such as good sleep, physical activity and social connections can help bolster brain health, but few people know enough about maintaining these key habits.

Brain health - how well individuals think, learn and remember - is cited as a top priority as people age, ranking it as important or even more important than physical health, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

While nearly all American adults - 99% - believe that maintaining brain health is at least as important as physical health, only 9% said they know enough about how to maintain it, the Alzheimer's Association said.

"There's a lot of misconceptions about brain health. A lot of people think dementia either happens or it doesn't - that there's inevitability around it," said Juan Rodriguez, AARP's vice president of brain health. "You do have a role here - take control of your destiny. It's not inevitable. You can take control of your risk."

More than two-thirds of Americans worry about their brain health and about developing Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia. An estimated 7.4 million people aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's, the Alzheimer's Association said. While most Americans believe lifestyle behaviors are very important for brain health, fewer than half strongly link these behaviors with reducing the risk of Alzheimer's or other dementias, the group said.

The study comes as the U.S. Census Bureau projects a more than doubling of the U.S. population age 85 and older by 2050. Age is a strong predictor for dementia. The lifetime risk of dementia after age 55 is about 42%, according to a 2025 study published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Physical and cognitive exercises can help

"Americans care deeply about their brain health and say that midlife is the key time to start taking steps to support it," said Heather Snyder, senior vice president of medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer's Association. "But many don't know where to start and are looking for clear guidance on actions they can take."

The healthy habits that can lower the risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia include quitting smoking, managing diabetes and blood pressure, challenging your mind with new skills or artistic pursuits, eating and sleeping well, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight.

While 75% of Americans said lifestyle behaviors are very important for maintaining brain health as they age, there's a disconnect when it comes to people realizing these habits can reduce the risk of dementia. Only 46% said lifestyle behaviors are very important in reducing the chances of Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, the Alzheimer's Association said.

"While many people recognize the importance of healthy habits ... fewer understand the important role these behaviors can play in supporting long-term cognitive health and potentially reducing the risk of cognitive decline," said Christopher Weber, senior director of global scientific initiatives with the Alzheimer's Association.

Healthy habits are hard to maintain

While adults age 40 and older overwhelmingly believe healthy behaviors support brain health, many do not practice them consistently. Nearly all (99%) believe lifestyle behaviors such as sleep, diet, physical exercise and mentally stimulating activities are important for brain health, but maintaining these behaviors is harder to achieve, the Alzheimer's Association found.

Only half report getting at least seven hours of sleep daily or most days. Slightly more than a third (39%) say they eat a healthy, balanced diet daily or most days. More than four in 10 (42%) engage in mentally stimulating activities daily or most days, such as doing puzzles or learning something new. Only a third (34%) say they get physical activity daily or most days, while 30% report doing so less than weekly or never, the Alzheimer's Association found.

"You don't need to do all of them all at once. Just get started. Taking a walk can be so beneficial. Getting started and doing baby steps," said Rodriguez said. "You don't need to eat all organic food and go to a five-star gym. Utilize public parks and look at resources that are free in the community."

Protecting hearing is also key, Rodriguez said.

"Addressing hearing loss - it's an underrecognized risk fact. When people aren't hearing well, they're more apt to isolate themselves from social activities and that becomes a multi-faceted issue," Rodriguez said.

While traditional Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids, some Medical Advantage and Medigap plans do, Rodriguez said.

Most adults want guidance about brain health from their doctors, but these conversations are uncommon, the Alzheimer's Association found. Two-thirds of Americans said they would prefer to learn about brain health from their healthcare provider, and most (86%) welcome these conversations during routine care. Yet only 14% report having a conversation about maintaining brain health with their doctor, and just 11% report discussing ways to reduce dementia risk.

"These findings highlight a real opportunity to better integrate brain health into routine healthcare," Snyder said. "People are motivated to protect their brain health, and clear...guidance can help support those efforts."

More outreach needed for at-risk groups

Black Americans are about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's, while Hispanic Americans are about one and a half times as likely as white populations. Despite having a higher risk, both groups are statistically less likely to receive a timely diagnosis and often have more advanced symptoms when officially diagnosed, the Alzheimer's Association found.

These populations are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, and face socioeconomic barriers like lower educational attainment and less access to quality healthcare.

More outreach is needed to teach at-risk populations about brain health and tackling underlying chronic diseases that contribute to risks for cognitive decline, AARP's Rodriguez said.

"The key takeaway is that brain health is a lifelong commitment - it's never too early or too late to start. Even small, sustainable changes can make a meaningful difference over time, helping people maintain how they think, learn and remember as they age," Weber said.

-Jessica Hall

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