How New Research is Driving Opportunities to Reduce Dementia Risk

Chicagoans are increasingly thinking about brain health, and for good reason. As Alzheimer’s disease continues to affect families, medical experts, and researchers are emphasizing that the choices people make every day may play an important role in protecting cognitive health over time.

More than 250,000 Illinois residents age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and more than 465,000 caregivers across the state provide unpaid care for loved ones facing dementia. Together, those caregivers contribute an estimated 668 million hours of unpaid care each year, valued at more than $16.7 billion. In the Chicago area, where the older adult population continues to grow, Alzheimer’s is becoming an increasingly urgent public health issue affecting families, healthcare systems, workplaces, and communities alike.

At the same time, awareness around brain health has never been higher. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, nearly all Americans age 40 and older surveyed say brain health is as important as, or more important than, physical health. Yet despite that concern, many people still do not know what practical steps they can take to maintain cognitive wellness as they age. The report found that while most Americans recognize that lifestyle behaviors can affect brain health, far fewer understand how those behaviors may help reduce dementia risk.

That gap between awareness and action is why experts are paying renewed attention to brain health education. Research continues to show that healthy habits adopted throughout life may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. In fact, experts estimate that nearly half of dementia cases worldwide may be linked to modifiable risk factors, including physical inactivity, smoking, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, hearing loss, excessive alcohol use, poor sleep, and social isolation.

For Chicago residents balancing busy careers, caregiving responsibilities, and the stress of everyday life, brain health can sometimes feel abstract or easy to overlook. But researchers increasingly emphasize that small, consistent habits can have meaningful long-term benefits. Staying physically active, eating a heart-healthy diet, managing chronic conditions, remaining socially connected, prioritizing sleep, and challenging the brain through lifelong learning or mental stimulation are all associated with better cognitive outcomes later in life.

The connection between heart health and brain health is particularly important. Conditions common in many urban communities, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, are also associated with increased dementia risk. Public health leaders in Illinois have increasingly focused on improving awareness of these links, especially in communities disproportionately affected by chronic disease and barriers to healthcare access.

The Alzheimer’s Association has played a leading role in advancing research on healthy aging and dementia prevention. One of the organization’s most significant studies, the U.S. POINTER lifestyle intervention trial, examined whether combining multiple healthy lifestyle behaviors could help protect cognitive function in older adults at increased risk for dementia. Researchers found encouraging evidence that participants who engaged in regular physical activity, healthy eating, cognitive engagement, social interaction, and routine health monitoring improved memory and thinking skills.

Those findings reinforce a growing scientific consensus: brain health is not determined by one single factor. Instead, it reflects the cumulative impact of lifestyle, environment, genetics, access to care, and social connection over time. While there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, many researchers now believe there are meaningful opportunities to reduce risk and promote healthier cognitive aging.

At the same time, early detection remains one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of Alzheimer’s care. Experts estimate that only about half of people living with Alzheimer’s disease ever receive an official diagnosis. Too often, symptoms are dismissed as normal aging, allowing the disease to progress before individuals and families can access support, treatment, or planning resources.

That issue has become even more urgent as new treatments emerge for people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Therapies are now available that may help slow disease progression, but those treatments are intended for people in the early stages of the disease. Researchers are also continuing to advance hundreds of additional treatments currently in the Alzheimer’s research pipeline.

For families across Chicago, early diagnosis can also provide valuable time to make financial, legal, and caregiving decisions while individuals can still actively participate in planning. It can connect families with support groups, educational programs, clinical trials and care resources that can significantly improve quality of life.

The Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging Illinois residents to take practical steps to prioritize brain health and support the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. One initiative, the (re)think your brain 6-Step Challenge at ReThinkYourBrain.org, offers simple actions people can take to support long-term cognitive wellness, including exercise, healthy eating, quality sleep, stress management, social connection and regular health checkups.

Chicagoans can also participate in local fundraising and awareness events, volunteer opportunities, educational programs and advocacy efforts aimed at expanding access to dementia care and accelerating research. Events such as Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which takes place across Chicagoland, raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research.

As the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s continues to rise, experts say conversations about brain health can no longer wait until old age. Brain health is increasingly understood as a lifelong process that begins decades before symptoms ever appear. The good news is that many of the same habits that support heart health and overall wellness may also help protect the brain.

For Chicago families already navigating Alzheimer’s disease, that message offers both urgency and hope: while the disease remains one of the nation’s greatest health challenges, growing research, increasing public awareness, and continued investment in treatment and prevention are creating new opportunities to change the future of brain health for generations to come. For more information on brain health, resources, and more, visit alz.org or call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at (800) 272-3900.

Marta Cerda is a transformational leader who uses innovation, strategic governance, intentional oversight, and ambitious goal setting to change systems and corporations. With more than 38  years in corporate, not-for-profit, philanthropic, and political arenas, Marta is CEO of ASI, a $12 million not-for-profit organization that provides home care services and employment and training programs.  During her tenure, she streamlined operations, converted the agency from traditional home care to an innovative care continuum, and leveraged new technology to increase service hours and improve efficiency.