Lancet study identifies 6 early red flags linked to higher dementia risk

What if your mind could send you warning signals long before dementia actually begins? That’s exactly what a new study by The Lancet Psychiatry suggests. Researchers followed nearly 6,000 adults for more than 20 years, tracking mental health and later cognitive outcomes.

Researchers discovered that many of the same emotional and psychological symptoms associated with midlife are also associated with the likelihood of developing dementia many years later, even after they accounted for factors like lifestyle habits, genetics, and cardiovascular health.

These six emotional symptoms stood out

Research published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that six specific emotional and psychological symptoms consistently stick out:

1. Loss of self-esteem or confidence

2. Difficulty dealing with issues

3. Disconnection from others

4. Severe level of anxiousness

5. General discontent with tasks

6. Lack of concentration

Participants who experienced these types of emotional and psychological symptoms in their 40s - 60s were significantly more likely to develop



dementia.

Does this mean anxiety or low mood causes dementia?

It’s important to understand that this study doesn’t prove these feelings cause dementia; it only shows that they are linked. But it does highlight how deeply mental well-being and brain health are connected. Many of us brush off persistent low mood, anxiety or trouble focusing as “just stress” or a phase of life. This research suggests these symptoms might also be early signals that your brain needs a little extra care.

You have a lot of options to treat things like anxiety or depression. While the first thing you should do is to talk to a healthcare provider, using therapy or making some changes to the way you live your life (sleeping better, eating healthier, and exercising more) may not only help manage what you’re feeling now but may also positively impact how your brain will be in the coming years.

Experts recommend taking these cues seriously rather than ignoring them as “just ageing” or everyday stress. Early attention to mental and emotional well-being doesn’t just help your quality of life now — it could help support your brain much further into the future.