Overview
- The USC-led analysis of more than 214,000 older adults across 14 countries, presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in London on July 13, 2026, shows large country-level differences in key modifiable risks such as low education, high body mass index, and hypertension.
- The study found consistent patterns in how risks group together worldwide, for example cardiometabolic factors often co-occur and risky behaviors like smoking and drinking form another common cluster.
- Authors conclude a one-size-fits-all global prevention strategy is unlikely to work and recommend that governments design programs based on each population's most common risks and the typical clusters those risks form.
- A separate review published at the same time found broad awareness campaigns raise knowledge but usually change behavior only slightly, while personalized, interactive approaches that combine risk assessment with structured education produce larger, sustained improvements.
- The research used harmonized survey data from long-running aging studies collected between 2009 and 2023 and the team plans to add new risk factors such as poor sleep and expand data collection to countries including Kenya and Egypt to better guide local policy and practice.