A new report presented by the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care concludes that more than 1/3 of all dementia cases (including Alzheimer’s disease) can be traced to specific sociological, psychological, and physical factors. Since many of these factors are considered to be preventable, the scientific community is celebrating this development as a significant stride forward in the battle against dementia. Some of the primary factors that appear to be an early sign of potential memory loss include low levels of completed education, obesity, smoking, air pollution, and hearing loss.

This study comes at a time when many of the world’s countries are bracing for an exponential growth to their senior citizen populations. If the results of this study lead to widespread change among the general public, the reduction in the number of individuals suffering from dementia could lead to potential economic growth, continued productivity, and a more hopeful population of people heading toward old age. Read more about this report, as well as other developments in the field of memory loss, in this recent article from the Los Angeles Times.