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Brain Health Overview
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Think About Your Future.
Maintain Your Brain Today. |
When people think about staying fit, they generally think from the neck down. But the health of your brain plays a critical role in almost everything you do: thinking, feeling, remembering, working, and playing ñ even sleeping.
The good news is that we now know thereís a lot you can do to help keep your brain healthier as you age. These steps might also reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease or other dementia.
Simple lifestyle modifications also would have an enormous impact on our nation's public health and the cost of healthcare. If you make brain-healthy lifestyle changes and take action by getting involved, we could realize a future without Alzheimer's disease.
The Alzheimer's Association Maintain Your Brain® materials and sub-brand logo are protected by trademark and copyright. The Maintain Your Brain® information and graphics used on this web site are not available for reprinting or repurposing by any organization other then the Alzheimer's Association and its chapter offices.
Make brain-healthy life choices
Like other parts of your
body, your brain may lose some agility as you get
older. It can deteriorate even more if you donít
take care of it. Science is unlocking many of the
mysteries of the brain, but we donít have all the
answers yet. You can do everything ìrightî and still
not prevent Alzheimer's disease. Whatís offered here
is the best and most up-to-date information available
so that you can make your own decisions about your
health.
The Alzheimer's Association Maintain Your Brain® consumer
education campaign does not guarantee individual health outcomes.
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Stay mentally active
Mentally stimulating activities strengthen
brain cells and the connections between
them, and may even create new nerve cells.
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Remain socially involved
Social activity not only makes physical
and mental activity more enjoyable, it
can reduce stress levels, which helps
maintain healthy connections among brain
cells
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Stay physically active
Physical exercise is essential for maintaining
good blood flow to the brain as well
as to encourage new brain cells. It also
can significantly reduce the risk of
heart attack, stroke and diabetes, and
thereby protect against those risk factors
for Alzheimer's and other dementias.
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Adopt a brain-healthy diet
Research suggests that high cholesterol
may contribute to stroke and brain cell
damage. A low fat, low cholesterol diet
is advisable. And there is growing evidence
that a diet rich in dark vegetables and
fruits, which contain antioxidants, may
help protect brain cells.
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Disease and risk factors
you canít control
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form
of dementia ñ brain disorders that affect your
ability to function effectively in daily living.
Well-established risk factors for Alzheimer's
disease are genetics and aging (10 percent
of those over age 65 and 50 percent of those
over 85 have Alzheimer's). Unfortunately, aging
and genetics are two risk factors you canít
control.
Itís not known what causes Alzheimer's disease or what role
genetics plays in most cases of Alzheimer's, though having
parents or siblings with the disease increases your risk.
A small percentage of cases is known to be caused by inherited
mutated genes.
In other cases, variants of specific genes increase risk,
but even people who inherit such variants from both parents
still may not get the disease.
These risk factors that you cannot change will set a starting
point for you, but there is hope that adopting the Maintain
Your Brain® life habits might delay or prevent the appearance
of Alzheimer's disease.
The science behind these
recommendations
The Alzheimer's Association Maintain Your Brain® consumer
education campaign is based on the best available science
about brain health.
Vision statement
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