As Floridians settle into their New Year's resolutions, the Alzheimer's Association is asking them to consider practicing good habits that boost brain health.
An updated analysis published in August in the medical journal The Lancet cites increasing evidence that tackling 14 risk factors would delay or prevent nearly half of dementia cases.
Those "modifiable" factors are obesity, unmanaged diabetes, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, lack of education, hearing loss, smoking, depression, excessive alcohol consumption, brain injury, air pollution, social isolation, vision loss and high cholesterol.
With the importance of addressing those risk factors in mind, the Alzheimer's Association is promoting “10 Healthy Habits for Your Brain.”
"No matter where you are in your life, it is never too early or too late to start healthy habits for your brain," said Jody Streussnig, a senior program manager with the association in Polk County.
"We're talking about the 10 healthy habits for your brain," she said. "So, first and foremost, challenging your mind is so super important. We want people to be curious and put their brain to work to try something new or that is hard for you."
The other healthy habits are staying in school, getting exercise, protecting your head from injury, not smoking, eating right, maintaining a healthy weight, sleeping well, and taking care of your high blood pressure or diabetes.
The researchers for The Lancet make these recommendations for society as a whole to reduce dementia risk:
- Ensure good quality education is available for all and encourage cognitively stimulating activities in midlife to protect cognition.
- Make hearing aids accessible for people with hearing loss and decrease harmful noise exposure to reduce hearing loss.
- Treat depression effectively.
- Encourage use of helmets and head protection in contact sports and on bicycles.
- Encourage exercise because people who participate in sport and exercise are less likely to develop dementia.
- Reduce smoking through education, price control and prevention in public, and make smoking cessation advice accessible.
- Prevent or reduce hypertension and maintain systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg or less after age 40.
- Detect and treat high LDL cholesterol from midlife.
- Maintain a healthy weight and treat obesity as early as possible, which also helps to prevent diabetes.
- Reduce high alcohol consumption through price control and increased awareness of levels and risks of drinking too much.
- Prioritise age-friendly and supportive community environments and housing, and reduce social isolation by facilitating participation in activities and living with others.
- Make screening and treatment for vision loss accessible for all.
- Reduce exposure to air pollution.
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