Nearly 40% of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed. These 10 things may lower your risk: 0. Maintain systolic blood pressure of 120 mm Hg or less in midlife from age 40. 1. Use hearing aids for hearing loss and protect your ears from high noise levels, starting at 85 decibels. 2. Reduce exposure to air pollution and second-hand tobacco smoke. The damage goes beyond your lungs, disrupting your focus/cognitive performance and damaging your liver. 3. Avoid head injury (violent sports, job safety measures, be careful generally). 4. Limit drinking to less than 1 unit a day (1 unit (8g or 10ml) is a glass of beer or a small glass of wine). Best to eliminate alcohol entirely. 5. Stop smoking, and never start if you don’t (beneficial at any age). 6. Exercise. 7. Maintain a healthy weight and good nutrition. 8. Correct vision limitations, have your eyes regularly checked and treat causes of vision disruption and sight loss. 9. Monitor for plaque and LDL cholesterol.