Dementia Archive

A 2025 study found that people with high amounts of daily activity at middle age and beyond reduced their risk of developing dementia compared with individuals who had the least daily activity during these life stages.

A 2025 study suggests that smokers who quit in middle age may, within a decade, reduce their risk of developing dementia to that of people who never smoked.

Many memory lapses are part of aging and don't signal Alzheimer's disease. Types of forgetfulness that usually aren't symptoms of dementia include forgetting names or details temporarily, misplacing objects but retracing steps to recover them, and occasional word retrieval problems. Signs of dementia include repeating questions and stories, getting lost on familiar routes, challenges with planning or solving problems, difficulty completing familiar tasks, new problems with words in speaking or writing, and withdrawing from social activities.

In a 2025 study, adults 45 and older with a strong sense of purpose were 28% less likely to develop cognitive impairment or dementia compared with individuals who had a low sense of purpose.

People who suffer from chronic insomnia are more likely to develop cognitive problems and score lower on thinking and memory tests compared with individuals without chronic insomnia, a 2025 study suggests.

A 2025 study suggested that consuming larger amounts of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and xylitol may be linked to faster declines in memory and thinking skills.