Less education
Fewer years of formal education is associated with a 40-60% higher dementia risk, likely through reduced cognitive reserve.
Why it matters
Education builds cognitive reserve, a buffer that lets the brain function despite physical damage. Lifelong learning can build this reserve at any age.
What to ask at the checkup
Ask whether cognitive stimulation programs or adult education would be beneficial
Screening: Years of formal schooling
Sources
Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet Commission
Livingston G, Huntley J, Liu KY et al.. The Lancet, 2024.
Fourteen things people can change account for nearly half of dementia cases at the population level.
Education and cognitive decline: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Meng X, D'Arcy C. Psychological Medicine, 2012.
More years of schooling was linked to a substantially lower dementia risk later in life.
Routines for this factor
Do one crossword or word puzzle
Complete one crossword, Sudoku, or word puzzle.
15 min, difficulty 1/3
Read something aloud for five minutes
Read a newspaper article, a book chapter, or a recipe aloud.
5 min, difficulty 1/3