Doing This 30-Minute Workout a Few Times a Week Can Slash Dementia - Best Life

But that also means that more and more of the population is facing new challenges and struggles related to aging; for many, that comes in the form of cognitive impairment.

Dementia, Alzheimer's, and other cognitive conditions are now the seventh most common cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Around a third of all seniors die with Alzheimer's or another type of dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

This month, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center published a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology looking into the connection between Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia and exercise.

The year-long study enrolled 70 men and women aged 55 to 80 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which progresses to full-blown Alzheimer's disease half the time.

According to the study, the walking group saw increased motor skills and improved memory and cognitive function, in addition to improved cardio fitness.

While we typically think of Alzheimer's as a disease that affects the very elderly, more and more cases are cropping up in younger patients, too.

Nearly 30 percent of all cases are now reported in Americans under 75, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

And early-onset dementia—that is, dementia diagnosed in people between the ages of 30 and 65—has more than doubled in the last several years, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield data.

Between 250,000 and 300,000 Americans currently have some form of early-onset dementia, and women make up a disproportionate number of these cases.

Not all memory lapses are a sign of dementia, but experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say if you're concerned about a possible dementia diagnosis, there are several things to watch out for.