Currently, around 7 million individuals in the United States are affected by dementia, a number that experts predict could nearly double in the next quarter-century.

For years, researchers have cautioned that factors such as an unhealthy diet, lack of sleep, insufficient physical activity, and even one’s family history might heighten the risk of developing this debilitating condition.

Dr. Ken Langa, an internist and dementia researcher at the University of Michigan, shared with the Daily Mail, “I advise my patients that even if they adhere to all the recommended lifestyle changes, they might still face the prospect of dementia.”

He elaborated that this could be attributed to genetic predispositions, sheer bad luck, or other factors that remain beyond our current understanding.

In a bid to shed light on this complex issue, several experts have disclosed to the Daily Mail five lesser-known factors that could elevate the risk of dementia, alongside suggestions on how individuals might reduce some of these risks.

Dr Elizabeth Landsverk, a dementia expert based in California, told Daily Mail that moderation was key when it came to preventing dementia.

She said: ‘You can definitely have your birthday cake, but just make sure that you aren’t having your birthday cake every week.’ 

Below, Daily Mail reveals five tips experts give to reduce the risk of dementia:

Experts have revealed five little-known factors that they said could raise your risk of being diagnosed with dementia (stock image)

Avoid ‘brain’ supplements

From fish oils to vitamins and softgels claiming to boost memory, every pharmacy seems to be selling the next miracle pill to boost your brain function.

But Dr Landsverk cast doubt on these claims, saying that, realistically, no pill could replace someone doing the basics of eating well and exercising.

She told Daily Mail: ‘To prevent dementia, you do need to look at changing your habits, as opposed to taking a pill and still having your steak and fries.

On the list was brain supplements, which they said were not likely to boost cognitive health

‘None of these supplements have been proven to be helpful. None of them have proven efficacy.’

Because they are sold as supplements, they do not go through safety or efficacy testing and do not need to be proven effective in studies. 

Dr Landsverk also raised concerns over potential contaminants in neurological-related supplements that could harm someone’s brain rather than boost its health.

A 2020 study by the American Academy of Neurology that tested 10 supplements bearing names such as ‘nootropics’, ‘smart drugs’ and ‘cognitive enhancers’ detected prescription drugs in them that were not approved for use in the US.

The drugs included two analogs of piracetam, a prescription drug used to improve brain function approved in Europe that has not been approved in the US because of little evidence it is effective, and phenibut, a nervous system depressant that has been linked to addiction, reduced consciousness and breathing problems.

Failing to wear glasses or use hearing aides when needed was also a factor, the researchers said (stock image)

Don’t go without your glasses or hearing aids

About 75 percent of Americans need some form of vision correction, while around 15 percent, mostly older adults, need a hearing aid.

But surveys suggest that many who need these inventions avoid them, either because of concerns over their appearance, habit or a refusal to admit either has deteriorated.

Dr Langa warned, however, that not using these could raise the risk of someone suffering from dementia.

He told Daily Mail: ‘There is increasing evidence around making sure things like hearing troubles or vision problems are addressed to help prevent dementia.

‘There are two main theories why these may be a risk; One is that, as people have more trouble with hearing and vision, they kind of stop interacting with the world a bit more and, by doing that, they are more socially isolated, and we know that social isolation is a risk factor for dementia.

‘The other potential pathway would be the idea that, because the brain is receiving less input due to a vision or hearing impediment, the brain is stimulated less and this somehow injures or harms the brain.’

Experts warn that less stimulation of the brain may weaken connections between neurons in the organ, raising the risk of developing dementia.

A 2024 study involving 573,000 people, including 40,000 with hearing loss, found that those who had hearing loss but were not using hearing aids had a 20 percent higher risk of dementia compared to those without the condition.

Among those who had hearing loss but were using the devices, they had a six percent higher risk of dementia compared to those without the condition. 

There was also a warning over living in cities, with experts saying the pollution, noise and lack of green spaces could affect someone’s health (Above is Bangkok, Thailand)

Choose your home wisely

Many are attracted to the big city for job opportunities, higher salaries and the chance to mingle with a wide variety of people.

But Dr Langa warned that these ‘concrete jungles’, where about 80 percent of the US population live, could raise someone’s risk of suffering from dementia in later life.

Dr Elizabeth Landsverk, shown above, also warned over the risk factors that could raise someone’s risk of suffering from dementia

He told Daily Mail: ‘There is increasing evidence that pollution exposure in life may increase the risk for cognitive decline and dementia.

‘Additionally, the amount of traffic, noise, your ability to get outside into say, parks or green space where you are able to do physical activity and interact with friends, all of those seem to have an important impact on your risk.’

Researchers have previously suggested that pollution may raise the risk of dementia because it leads people to breathe in more fine particles that can enter the circulatory system and be carried to the brain, where they damage brain cells.

Being in a neighborhood with few green spaces or meeting points may also pose a risk, researchers suggest, because someone may have fewer opportunities to socialize with friends or a community or stimulate their brain through vigorous physical activity, which can also raise their risk of suffering from the disease.

Experts also recommended that people should get the shingles vaccine, which studies have suggested may be able to reduce someone’s risk of suffering from dementia

Don’t skip the shingles vaccine

The shingles vaccine is recommended for all adults aged 50 years or older, but estimates suggest less than 40 percent get the shot.

Shown above is Dr Ken Langa, an internist and dementia researcher at the University of Michigan

The vaccine protects against the chickenpox virus, which remains dormant in the body for decades after an infection and can be reactivated, often in later life when the immune system is weaker. About 1 million Americans get shingles every year.

But Dr Langa told Daily Mail that the vaccine could also have a second, unexpected, use; preventing dementia.

He said: ‘The shingles vaccine prevents or decreases the risk that the [chickenpox] virus gets reactivated and, therefore, decreases the amount of inflammation that your body is exposed to and has to fight off the virus again.

‘Certainly, one theory is that because the vaccine will decrease the likelihood of having a shingles episode, it decreases the likelihood of the body having high inflammation, and the nerves in the brain sort of benefit.’

A study published in July last year found that, out of 100,000 adults tracked, those who received the shingles vaccine were 20 percent less likely to develop dementia over the next seven years than those who did not receive the shot.

Shown above is a stock image of a tick biting a human. In some cases, Lyme disease may also raise someone’s risk of being diagnosed with dementia (stock image)

Watch out for tick bites

About one in 10 Americans are bitten by a tick every year, and nearly half a million people are diagnosed with Lyme disease annually.

The disease is treated with antibiotics, but can cause brain fog, headaches, memory issues and drooping on one side of the face.

But now, amid anecdotal cases, experts are looking into whether the tick-borne disease may also be a risk factor for dementia.

Dr Jessica Zwerling, a neurologist at the Montefiore Hudson Balley Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease in New York City, said: ‘Lyme disease can raise the risk of arthritis, and a different type of brain disease when it comes to dementia.’

Dr Langa said: ‘It would not be top of my list, maybe five or six paragraphs down, but there is evidence to suggest that this could raise the risk of dementia.’

Experts said that Lyme disease may raise the risk of dementia by causing inflammation in the body, which could disrupt nerve cells.

The Alzheimer’s Society says online that there is now increasing evidence to suggest a potential link between dementia and Lyme disease, but that it is not yet enough to say that it can cause the disease.

It adds: ‘In rare cases Lyme disease can also affect the brain, causing dementia-like symptoms. With early treatment, this is reversible.’ 

The Society cited a 2023 case study of a man who developed a form of dementia years after suffering from Lyme disease, although said it was not clear whether the two were connected.