Recent headlines that suggested up to 42% of people ages 55 and older face an eventual dementia diagnosis may have lit up the appointment call centers for neurology offices nationwide.

But some experts have a follow-up message: Don’t panic. That’s because the study leaned heavily on data from people at high risk of blood vessel problems (collectively called vascular disease), which are also known to be linked to dementia risk, said Mia Yang, MD, MS, a dementia and gerontology expert from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina. She works in one of the four communities from which the data was collected. “This study in the context of existing literature is not new – we know that those who have vascular risk factors have a higher likelihood of developing dementia,” she said. “If you have vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, then your risk of developing dementia is higher than those who do not have those risk factors. However, risk is not the same as destiny. There are plenty of patients without vascular risk factors who develop Alzheimer’s dementia.”

Researchers and public health officials have for years wrestled with imperfect data to estimate dementia’s reach. Many cases are believed to be undiagnosed, and the group of cognitive diseases disproportionately affect diverse groups who historically have been underrepresented in medical research. The team involved in this latest study, published in the prominent journal Nature Medicine, said the increases in their projections were partly due to the increased diversity of people represented in the data they used. The new estimate says the risk of dementia among Black people rises more quickly than for White people starting around age 75. Starting around age 85, lifetime risk among women becomes higher than for men, but the researchers said that is because women live longer than men.

There is no cure for dementia, but there is scientific evidence that points toward ways to reduce your risk. For those who have dementia prevention on their radar, here are three areas that Yang suggests looking into. “Know your own numbers in terms of blood pressure, cholesterol, and fasting blood sugar,” she said, since all of those health indicators can impact dementia risk. “Improve your aerobic exercise – do not let perfection be the enemy of consistency. Anything that gets your heart rate up and sweating is better than none.” And finally, “improve your diet – more greens, less fried and processed foods,” said Yang, who hosts a podcast called Ask Dr. Mia: Conversations on Aging Well, which includes more than a dozen episodes on memory, dementia, and caregiving.