Free Tool · Non-diagnostic

Cognitive decline risk-factor assessment

Twelve evidence-backed risk factors. Tick the ones that apply. Get a personalized profile with what the research says — and what you can actually do about each.

Medical note: This tool is for educational purposes. It does not diagnose, predict, or rule out any medical condition. Risk factors are statistical and apply at the population level. Talk to a healthcare professional about your individual risk and any modifications you might consider.

Tick every factor that applies to you. Skip the ones you are unsure about. Your responses stay on this device.

Environmental / sensory
Vascular / metabolic
Mental health
Lifestyle
Genetic / demographic

You can submit with zero, some, or all factors selected.

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest risk factors for cognitive decline?

The 2024 Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention identifies 14 modifiable risk factors that together account for an estimated 45% of dementia risk worldwide. The largest are: hearing loss, high LDL cholesterol, depression, traumatic brain injury, physical inactivity, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, obesity, excessive alcohol, social isolation, air pollution, low education, and untreated vision loss. Non-modifiable factors include age, family history, and APOE4 genotype.

Can you reduce your risk of cognitive decline?

Some risk factors are modifiable and the evidence on reducing them is genuinely encouraging. Treating hearing loss, controlling blood pressure, treating depression, staying physically active, controlling blood sugar, not smoking, moderating alcohol, staying socially engaged, and protecting against head injury are all associated with meaningfully lower risk. Other factors like family history and APOE4 genotype are not modifiable, but they are not destiny either.

Does having multiple risk factors mean I will get dementia?

No. Risk is statistical, not deterministic. Many people with multiple risk factors never develop cognitive decline. Many people with no obvious risk factors do. The point of identifying risk factors is to help you focus modification efforts and to help you decide whether longitudinal cognitive tracking is worth the small daily investment.

Should I get genetic testing for APOE4?

It is a personal decision and not a clinical recommendation for most people. APOE4 carriers have a higher statistical risk of late-onset Alzheimer's, but the gene is neither necessary nor sufficient for the disease, and there is currently no APOE4-specific preventive treatment that depends on the result. If you are considering testing, talk to a clinician or genetic counselor first.

What is the most important thing I can do today?

Build a personal cognitive baseline before any concern appears. The baseline is most informative when it captures you during a stable period — that is the comparison data that lets future-you tell a bad week from a real change. Everything else (sleep, exercise, social engagement, hearing care, blood pressure, blood sugar, alcohol moderation) compounds on top of that.