# Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) sits between normal aging and dementia. By Petersen's criteria, it means tests show a real cognitive decline, but you still handle daily life on your own, and you do not meet the bar for dementia. In clinic-based groups, roughly 10 to 15% of people with MCI progress to dementia each year; community samples show lower rates. In longevity medicine, it is a key window to act. Lifestyle changes, treating vascular risk, better sleep, and correcting hearing can stabilize symptoms, or even partly reverse them.

## Sources

- Petersen RC, Smith GE, Waring SC, Ivnik RJ, Tangalos EG, Kokmen E. (1999). Mild cognitive impairment: clinical characterization and outcome. Archives of Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1001/archneur.56.3.303
- Petersen RC. (2004). Mild cognitive impairment as a diagnostic entity. Journal of Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2004.01388.x

---

_Canonical: https://longevity-switzerland.com/en/glossary/mild-cognitive-impairment · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_