Healthy habits can lower your dementia risk—even if it runs in the family

Dementia is a heartbreaking condition that affects memory, thinking, and daily life.

It’s tough not just on the person living with it but also on their family and friends.

While many people believe that dementia is mostly about genetics—something you either inherit or don’t—new research gives us some encouraging news: your daily habits can make a real difference, even if your family history puts you at higher risk.

A study led by Dr. Adrienne Tin from the University of Mississippi Medical Center followed more than 11,000 people for 30 years.

Some had European ancestry, and some had African ancestry. The goal was to see whether living a healthy life could lower the chances of getting dementia later on, especially for people who might be genetically more likely to develop it.

The researchers based their work on a checklist from the American Heart Association called “Life’s Simple 7.” It includes seven easy-to-understand steps for better heart—and brain—health:

Stay physically active
Eat a healthy diet
Maintain a healthy weight
Avoid smoking
Keep blood pressure in a safe range
Manage cholesterol
Control blood sugar

The results were promising. For people of European background, each healthy habit they adopted lowered their risk of dementia by about 9%. That means even small improvements can add up. Those who followed most or all of the seven steps had up to a 43% lower chance of developing dementia, even if their genes suggested they were at high risk.

For people of African descent, the trend was the same: healthy living helped reduce dementia risk.

However, the researchers couldn’t be as confident in the exact numbers, since there were fewer participants in this group and many came from the same region. That means more research is needed to fully understand how these results apply to all people with African ancestry.

Still, the overall message is clear: genetics don’t tell the whole story. While we can’t change our family history, we canchange our habits—and those choices can help protect our brains.

That’s especially important as dementia becomes more common. Around 50 million people worldwide are currently living with dementia, and that number could triple by 2050. But this study gives us hope. It shows that even if your family history raises your risk, a healthy lifestyle can lower it.

So, the next time you go for a walk, choose a salad, or skip the cigarette, remember—you’re not just helping your heart or your waistline. You could also be protecting your brain for years to come.

This study was published in the journal Neurology.

If you care about dementia, please read studies about Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and flavonoid-rich foods could help prevent dementia.