Vision loss and high cholesterol levels are among many other modifiable risk factors for developing cognitive brain conditions like dementia and Alzheimer's, a new study has said. The research, published in the Lancet, has noted the importance of the findings for possible prevention as the number of people living with these brain function-altering diseases is set to increase worldwide.

According to statistics, someone in the world develops dementia every three seconds. Also, there are over 55 million people worldwide living with dementia presently and this number will almost double every 20 years, reaching 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050.

"Policymakers should prioritize resources to enable risk reduction to prevent or delay dementia and interventions to improve symptoms and life for people with dementia and their families," the authors of the study wrote in a statement.

Vision loss and high cholesterol join 12 other previously known risk factors for the disease, including:

• Less education
• Head injury
• Physical inactivity
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• High blood pressure
• Obesity and weight gain
• Diabetes
• Hearing loss
• Depression and anxiety
• Infrequent social contact
• Air pollution

What is dementia?

According to experts, dementia is a general term for a group of symptoms that affect cognitive abilities. At the same time, Alzheimer's disease is a specific type of dementia that causes progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia in older adults and the sixth leading cause of death in the US.

Both get worse over time and are characterized by changes in your brain that lead to deposits of certain proteins. Alzheimer's disease causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die.

Experts say a healthy lifestyle for the rest of your body is also good for your brain. And so, extensive research done on the subject suggests making a few lifestyle changes can help you get over these conditions and improve your odds of developing these diseases.

"The prevention approach should be directed at addressing risk factor levels at an early stage and continuing throughout the life course," the authors add, including specific prevention guidance for each identified risk factor.

For the two latest – vision loss and dementia, the authors suggest detecting and treating high cholesterol from midlife and making vision loss screening and treatment accessible.

For hearing loss, it is important to wear hearing aids which are mostly easily accessible and help decrease harmful noise exposure. To prevent head injuries, wear helmets in contact sports and on bicycles. "Ensure good quality education is available for all and encourage cognitively stimulating activities in midlife to protect cognition," the prevention guidance continued. "Prioritize age-friendly and supportive community environments and housing and reduce social isolation by facilitating participation in activities and living with others."

Air pollution is considered a lesser-known risk factor, however, is increasingly becoming relevant as wildfire and poor air quality are increasing across the world. "Wildfires can be very disruptive to daily routines, and so it's possible that the stress, the anxiety, the disruption of day-to-day life, could unmask an underlying dementia and somebody who has not been diagnosed," a lead researcher of the study Holly Elser told CBS News.