Key points

Cognitive decline starts decades before dementia diagnosis, but higher cognitive reserve can delay symptoms.

Education, complex work, and active learning could reduce dementia risk.

Exercise, social ties, and new experiences help grow brain networks and boost cognitive reserve.

With dementia now estimated to impact 42 percent of people who make it past age 55, everyone should be taking steps to help decrease their risk for developing the condition. Yet while much of the conversation focuses on supplements, diet , and pharmaceuticals, one of the less publicized tools to mitigate risk could be one of the most important.

For background, it’s key to understand that, as it relates to dementia, brain changes can begin decades before a person experiences symptoms of cogni

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