ROCHESTER, Minn. — More than 55 million people worldwide are believed to be living with dementia, according to the World Health Organization. Ronald Petersen, M.D., a neurologist and director of Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, says you can't prevent dementia, but you can reduce your risk.
Dementia is not one disease, but instead a term for a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.
There are more than a dozen risk factors that people can address, Dr. Petersen says.
