WASHINGTON — High blood sugar, hearing loss, and low education are the strongest and most consistent risk factors for dementia in the United States, accounting for the largest share of cases that could be prevented, according to a new report from the Dementia Risk Reduction Project — a multi-year collaboration between AARP, the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative (AD Data Initiative), and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

The report, released today, is the first to rank 12 modifiable risk factors in the U.S. population and by state, offering a roadmap for individuals, communities, and policymakers to take targeted steps that protect brain health and reduce dementia’s impact. It also provides researchers with new data to explore additional questions and uncover future dementia discoveries.

“Understanding which factors have the greatest impact on dementia puts us in a stronger position to fight it before it starts,” said Juan Rodriguez, AARP Vice President of Brain Health. “These findings offer clear steps people and communities can take today to support their brain health, promote healthy aging, and give older Americans more quality time to live their lives as they choose.”

“This report suggests that dementia is not an unavoidable consequence of aging, but a condition influenced by numerous modifiable factors. By addressing these risks, we have a significant chance to delay or prevent dementia for millions of Americans,” said Dr. Jaimie Steinmetz, IHME’s lead research scientist overseeing work on sensory and neurological disorders.

“This research reveals some of the strongest and most comprehensive findings about dementia risk factors we have to date. Every finding gets us closer to a clear roadmap for early detection and prevention, meaning someone's parent, spouse, or loved one might maintain their memories and independence longer,” said Niranjan Bose, Interim Executive Director of the AD Data Initiative. "I’m grateful for AARP’s partnership on the AD Data Initiative and their support of this important work. The results and data derived by the IHME team will be made available to the global research community via AD Workbench. While this is a key step to enable more open science, it’s critical that the data providers that have allowed the IHME team to derive and surface these insights also share that source data. Only when data is shared openly will we be able to say that we are enabling the most aggressive means to accelerate breakthroughs that improve lives.”

The Dementia Risk Reduction Project brings together AARP’s commitment to healthy aging, IHME’s global health analytics, and AD Data Initiative’s data innovation to identify and address the most impactful dementia risk factors.

Key findings from the report include:

• The top three risk factors—high blood sugar, hearing loss, and lower level of education—account for the largest share of preventable dementia cases in the U.S.
• Other major contributors include air pollution, depression, physical inactivity, traumatic brain injury, smoking, high blood pressure, and social isolation.
• Alcohol use and high body mass index show little-to-no consistent link to dementia risk.
• Addressing the leading risk factors—such as improving blood sugar control in people with prediabetes and diabetes, expanding access to hearing care, and increasing educational opportunities—could substantially reduce dementia nationwide.

To explore the full findings and discover practical tips to reduce your dementia risk, visit: www.healthdata.org/research-analysis/health-topics/neurological-conditions-library.

The findings underscore the brain health resources included in AARP’s Staying Sharp program. To learn about strategies that may help reduce dementia risk, visit AARP’s Staying Sharp program. Its six pillars of brain health include being social, engaging your brain, managing stress, exercising regularly, getting restorative sleep, and eating right.

The findings, including state-by-state comparisons, are accessible for non-commercial research via the AD Workbench, the AD Data Initiative’s secure, cloud-based data sharing and analytics environment. Researchers worldwide can access AD Workbench to discover and request data on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

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ABOUT AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 years and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 125 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability, and personal fulfillment. Learn more about AARP at www.aarp.org.

ABOUT IHME
An independent population health research organization based at the University of Washington School of Medicine, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) works with collaborators around the world to develop timely, relevant, and scientifically valid evidence that illuminates the state of health everywhere. In making our research available and approachable, we aim to inform health policy and practice in pursuit of our vision: all people living long lives in full health. Learn more about IHME at www.healthdata.org.

ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE DATA INITIATIVE
The Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative is a coalition of leading advocacy, government, industry, and philanthropy organizations that recognizes the need for dementia researchers to find easier ways to share unpublished data, analytical tools, and scientific findings. These partners are working together to accelerate progress towards new diagnostics, treatments, and cures for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Learn more about the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative at www.alzheimersdata.org.