Lifestyle Resources
Changes begin happening in the brain up to 20 years before the onset of symptoms of memory loss. Researchers have found that a healthy lifestyle is associated with a substantially lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia in adults 65 to 88 years of age.1 That means that impactful changes are already happening in our brains in our 40’s.
The good news – there are steps you can take today to protect your brain health. Research demonstrates that over 40% of dementia cases may be delayed or even prevented by modifying 12 risk factors, such as addressing hearing loss, maintaining blood pressure control, stopping smoking, preventing head injuries, reducing air pollution, and more.2 Some of the primary brain healthy lifestyle habits include:
Modifiable Risk Factors
Researchers have evaluated the influence of different factors on a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease over time. The figure below demonstrates a life-course model of potentially modifiable risk factors for developing dementia.3 The figure shows the percentage reduction in dementia if the risk factor was eliminated, so for example if hearing loss was addressed it would be associated with an 8% reduction in dementia.
Taking steps each day to protect brain health.
Science-driven solutions for brain health – We’re in this together.
- Dhana K, Evans DA, Rajan KB, Bennett DA, Morris MC. Healthy lifestyle and the risk of Alzheimer dementia: Findings from 2 longitudinal studies. Neurology. 2020 Jul 28;95(4):e374-e383. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000009816. Epub 2020 Jun 17. PMID: 32554763; PMCID: PMC7455318. ↩︎
- Livingston, Gill, et al. Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care: 2020 Report of the Lancet Commission. The Lancet. 2020 Aug; 396(10248): 413–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6. ↩︎
- Livingston, Gill et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. The Lancet. 2020 Aug; 396(10248):413-446. ↩︎