digiDEM Bavaria Prevention Coach®

Lower your dementia risk – with the digiDEM Bayern Prevention Coach®

A healthy lifestyle can prevent many diseases and also help delay the development of dementia. Therefore, it is important to know the risk factors for dementia and how they can be modified.

In July 2024, an international team of dementia experts published a revised list of now 14 risk factors. It is scientifically proven that these increase the risk of developing dementia. These factors are linked to 45 percent of all dementia cases.

But which risk factors promote dementia? Why are risk factors such as declining hearing and vision, low education, depression, social isolation, or physical inactivity associated with the likelihood of developing dementia?

This illustrative image was created with the support of DALL·E 2025.

What can you do proactively for your cognitive health?

• With our digital prevention coach®, we want to encourage you to learn about your personal dementia risk factors in just a few steps.

• Learn how to keep your brain actively fit in everyday life and find out about ways to reduce your risk of dementia.

• Heed our practical, evidence-based tips for dementia prevention and learn how to achieve a lot for your cognitive health with little effort.

• Join our fun quiz and test your new knowledge right away.

In 2024, a specialist commission vividly structured 14 risk factors into the form of the life cycle. According to this, different risk factors are relevant in early, middle, and late human life stages. For example, in middle age, hearing loss is an important risk factor for dementia. Smoking or social isolation, on the other hand, increase the probability of developing dementia in later life.

Start now with the digiDEM Bavaria Prevention Coach®

Click on one of the following menu items – and let's go!

Early childhood

Low level of education

A low level of education refers to a low degree of formal schooling, where basic knowledge in important areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, and general knowledge is insufficient or absent.

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Middle adulthood

Hearing loss

Hearing loss leading to complete hearing loss (= deafness).

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High LDL cholesterol

Elevated LDL cholesterol levels indicate a high concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood, which can deposit in the arteries and increase the risk of dementia and strokes.

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Depression

Depression is a mental health condition characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, emptiness, or irritability that can significantly impair functioning.

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Traumatic brain injury

A traumatic brain injury is damage to the brain that can cause temporary or lasting disturbances in brain function. 

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Lack of exercise

Lack of physical activity refers to not meeting the WHO's current recommendation, which includes 2.5 hours of endurance activity per week. 

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Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus („sugar disease“) is an umbrella term for various metabolic diseases. All of them have in common that they lead to elevated blood sugar levels.

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Smoking

Smoking is defined as the consumption of nicotine-containing tobacco plants in the form of cigarettes, cigarillos, or cigars. 

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High blood pressure

Normal blood pressure in adults is systolic below 140 mmHg and diastolic below 90 mmHg. High blood pressure is defined as when at least one of these two values is persistently elevated.

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Overweight

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a health risk. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 kg/m² is considered overweight, and over 30 kg/m² is considered obese. 

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Alcohol abuse

Alcohol abuse is the excessive consumption of alcohol.

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Late life stage

Social isolation

Social isolation refers to the life situation of people who have little or no social contact.

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Air pollution

Air pollution refers to the contamination of indoor or outdoor air by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

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Vision loss

Loss of vision, up to complete blindness.

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