Researchers in Sweden developed a kind of scorecard that determines your risk for dementia, and we’ve simplified it so you can get a feel for their research.

The researchers say the test fundamentally helps figure out who needs to make intensive lifestyle changes, since that is one area we can control. And while no one gets a guarantee they can prevent dementia, it turns out taking this test might actually help you in more ways than one.

Dementia affects millions of us already and will affect even more as our society continues to age. Its causes vary and include cardiovascular disease, infections, but doctors most commonly link it to Alzheimer's.

"The impact of these late life dementias is tremendous and it affects not only the person affected and their spouse, but their children,” says Dr. Jeffrey Kaye, al Alzheimer’s expert at OHSU. He goes on to say that the effect of dementia continues to ripple, even affecting people not related to the sufferer. For example, take the case of the co-worker who has to cover a shift for someone caring for a sick relative.

Examples like that are why we're so interested in the findings of a team of Swedish aging experts. The team developed a test, a scorecard if you will, after following 1,409 people for about two decades. And while they came up with a formula that numerically ranks your results, we have a way you can participate.

Answer yes or no to the following questions:

Are you overweight?

Do you smoke?

Do you have high cholesterol?

Do you have high blood pressure?

Do you avoid exercise?

The more "yes" answers you gave the greater your risk.

Being obese or having high blood pressure or high cholesterol doubles your risk of dementia. If you have all three at the same time then your risk increases six times.

“I think the more practical value of these scorecards is the ballpark concept that 'I have some health conditions that are not good for me and there is something I need to do about that," says Dr. Kaye who adds that you may have noticed something else about the questionnaire: the risk factors for dementia mirror those for cardiovascular disease.

"Whatever it takes to raise and heighten awareness that there are certain health practices that might have you survive with a greater quality of life ... those are things to emphasize,” Dr. Kaye says.