Midlife matters: metabolic syndrome and the risk of dementia

The 2024 report of the Lancet Standing Commission1 on dementia prevention concluded that nearly half of all dementia cases could theoretically be prevented by eliminating 14 modifiable risk factors throughout an individual’s life span. These factors encompass a broad spectrum, including educational (low level of education), cardiovascular (hypertension, obesity, high LDL cholesterol, and diabetes), sensory (hearing loss and vision loss), lifestyle (smoking, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption), psychological (depression and social isolation), and environmental (traumatic brain injury and air pollution) elements.