The World Health Organization has published the second edition of its guideline on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, updating the 2019 recommendations with new evidence and a stronger life-course approach.
The technical guidance is intended for adults without dementia, including people with normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment. It does not promise that any single behaviour can prevent dementia in an individual.
The practical direction
WHO’s evidence base supports regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco, limiting harmful alcohol use, maintaining social and cognitive engagement and managing weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and depression. The updated guideline also considers air pollution and other environmental or structural conditions.
Multidomain programmes may combine several measures instead of prescribing one intervention. That reflects the fact that dementia risk is shaped by health, education, income, environment and access to care over many years.
Why equity matters
Advice is useful only when people can act on it. Safe places to exercise, affordable nutritious food, clean air, primary care and education are not evenly distributed. WHO therefore asks health systems and governments to address sociocultural and structural barriers rather than placing all responsibility on individuals.
Memory loss that disrupts daily life still requires clinical assessment. Treatable conditions—including medication effects, depression, thyroid disease and vitamin deficiencies—can sometimes resemble cognitive decline. The guideline is for population risk reduction, not self-diagnosis or a replacement for medical care.
Sources: WHO risk-reduction guideline, second edition; WHO dementia fact sheet.
Screenshot of the official guideline page. Source: WHO.
