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Global Dementia Cases Are Expected To Increase By 3 Million In 2023

Author:

Morgan Chamberlain

December 27, 2022

Former mbg Supplement Editor

By Morgan Chamberlain

Former mbg Supplement Editor

Morgan Chamberlain is mindbodygreen's former supplement editor. She graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in magazine journalism and a minor in nutrition.

Image by BONNINSTUDIO / Stocksy

December 27, 2022

December brings an opportunity to really take stock of our health and make plans for taking care of ourselves in the new year. We're always thinking about brain longevity at mindbodygreen, but thanks to a shocking study from the Lancet Public Health that came out earlier in 2022, we've been especially aware of the state of cognitive health on a global scale this year.

According to the study, dementia prevalence is expected to rise 166%1 worldwide over the next 30 decades. That means global cases will increase by 3 million in 2023 alone! Needless to say, cognitive decline—and how to prevent it—have certainly been on our minds all year.

Why are dementia cases on the rise?

The Lancet predicts that four main risk factors will have an impact on future case trends:

Smoking
Obesity
High blood sugar levels
Limited education

Improvements in global access to education alone could reduce dementia prevalence by 6 million cases worldwide by 2050! However, increases in obesity, high blood sugar levels, and smoking have the potential to increase cases by 7 million in the same timespan.

How to protect your brain in 2023.

Thankfully, research indicates healthy lifestyle behaviors can reduce dementia risk—even if you have a family history of dementia. And the sooner you implement brain health habits, the better—once dementia reaches a certain stage, interventions become far less effective.

Consider incorporating one (or many) of these health habits into your daily routine to bolster your cognitive function in 2023 and beyond:

Avoid smoking.
Maintain a healthy body composition.
Manage your blood sugar levels & blood pressure.
Make regular appointments with your doctor to keep track of changes in your brain health.
Take a premium brain longevity supplement with clinically backed ingredients—like citicoline, a nootropic bioactive that has been shown to improve cognitive impairment (you can find mindbodygreen's comprehensive list of recommended memory supplements here).
Engage in regular physical activity.
Eat a balanced diet full of nutrient-dense, brain-healthy foods.
Get restful sleep (& lots of it).
Stay socially active & find purpose in community events and activities.

The takeaway.

Just because dementia cases are on the rise worldwide doesn't mean you need to become a statistic. Add some of these brain-healthy habits to your routine in 2023—it's never too early (or too late) to start taking better care of your cognitive health.