Dementia risk factors and self‑test guidance emphasized in Germany

A German health article outlines a self‑assessment tool to help individuals distinguish normal age‑related forgetfulness from early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. It notes that about 1.6 million people in Germany live with dementia, two‑thirds of whom have Alzheimer’s.

A separate long‑term study of the U.S. ARIC cohort, published in *Neurology*, found that three modifiable vascular risk factors—high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking—significantly reduce the number of dementia‑free years. Participants without any of these risk factors enjoyed roughly 30 years without dementia between ages 55 and 95, compared with about 17.5 years for those with all three. The risk of developing dementia was nearly three times higher for those with all three risk factors, and their overall mortality risk was more than five times greater.