Dementia might not be a significant concern in your youth, but it gains importance as you reach middle age. What’s alarming? A 2025 study in Nature Medicine indicated that adults over 55 have a 42% lifetime risk of developing dementia. This risk can rise to 60% for individuals who are Black, female, or possess the Alzheimer’s-related APOE ε4 gene. The number of new dementia cases diagnosed annually in the U.S. is expected to increase steadily, reaching approximately 1 million new diagnoses by 2060.
As you get older, you may also develop other health issues that can elevate your risk of dementia, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and depression. You may also end up taking more medications, some of which have been associated with a higher risk of dementia.
For instance, older adults often use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to alleviate symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, a 2016 study in JAMA Neurology discovered a link between PPI use and dementia. By monitoring the health of over 73,000 individuals aged 75 and older for about seven years, researchers found that using PPIs was associated with a 44% higher risk of dementia. This doesn’t imply that PPIs cause dementia, but there may be other factors contributing to the connection.
How PPIs may be linked to dementia
Some researchers believe that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the excessive accumulation of beta-amyloid proteins, leading to plaque formation in brain cells. A 2013 study in PLoS One investigated how the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) lansoprazole affects brain cells in mice. In both mice and lab-grown cells, lansoprazole increased the production of beta-amyloid proteins—particularly those most strongly linked to Alzheimer’s.
Older adults might also experience nutritional deficiencies due to decreased appetite and medication side effects, which can hinder nutrient absorption. One such nutrient is vitamin B12. A 2023 meta-analysis in Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology found that individuals taking PPIs were 42% more likely to have a mild vitamin B12 deficiency. This deficiency has been associated with cognitive decline and various forms of dementia. In fact, a 2022 study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that people with dementia had lower levels of vitamin B12. (Here’s what to eat to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s.)
Before discontinuing your PPIs, it’s crucial to consider other factors. A 2023 review in Touch Neurology suggested that vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, and Helicobacter pylori infection might influence the perceived connection between PPIs and dementia. Furthermore, a 2021 meta-analysis in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, which analyzed data from 17 studies involving over a million participants, found no evidence that PPIs increase the risk of dementia.
Other medications that may be linked to dementia risk
As more research on dementia emerges, some studies are indicating that medications beyond PPIs may also be associated with an increased risk of the disease, according to a 2025 review in Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. While hundreds of medications have been studied, drugs like laxatives, anticonvulsants, pain relievers, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and medications for nausea and vertigo have shown possible associations with a higher dementia risk. However, results across studies have been inconsistent, and it’s possible that the underlying condition being treated, rather than the medication itself, may contribute to this risk.
(You can predict your risk of dementia using a new tool.)
While some newer drugs aim to reduce beta-amyloid plaques in early Alzheimer’s, growing evidence suggests that dementia is a complex disease involving multiple biological pathways. In other words, effectively treating different types of dementia requires a deeper understanding of how these diseases develop and progress. Some medications used to treat other conditions may actually help lower dementia risk. For example, medications to treat diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity may reduce your dementia risk. Some antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and vaccines are also linked to a lower risk of dementia.
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