New WHO guidelines on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia
On 15 July 2026 the WHO issued updated guidelines on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, linking up to 45% of risk to factors that can be changed.
Key points
- The WHO published the second edition of its guidelines on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia on 15 July 2026.
- The WHO says up to 45% of dementia risk can be attributed to modifiable risk factors.
- The risk factors named include tobacco, alcohol use, social isolation, physical inactivity, air pollution, high blood pressure and diabetes.
- The WHO says hearing aids may be offered as part of risk-reduction strategies.
What was announced
On 15 July 2026 the World Health Organization (WHO) released updated guidelines on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. They follow the WHO's first recommendations on the subject in 2019 and reflect a larger body of evidence.
The WHO says that up to 45% of dementia risk can be attributed to modifiable risk factors. These include tobacco, alcohol use, social isolation, physical inactivity, air pollution and noncommunicable diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
What it means
The WHO says that managing cardiometabolic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol can also help reduce dementia risk, and that hearing aids may be offered as part of risk-reduction strategies. The 45% figure is an estimate of the share of risk linked to changeable factors; it is not a promise that addressing them would prevent dementia in any one person.
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