Brain Health
Growing evidence shows that making behavioral and lifestyle changes can help you
maintain cognition and brain health later in life.
It’s a fact: your brain ages just like the rest of your body – it shrinks in size, slows down in speed, and becomes less adaptable to change as you age. While research on how to maintain brain health later in life continues at a rapid and expanding pace, we know there is growing hope and expectation that living longer, fuller cognitive lives is possible. In fact, a recent survey of AARP members age 50 and over [1] showed that 90% felt staying mentally sharp was their top health related interest.
Research suggests there are six critical elements to aging successfully and maintaining your brain health as you age, including:
1.
Staying physically active;
2.
Managing your blood pressure, weight and cholesterol levels to reduce and manage your risk for cardiovascular disease;
3.
Talking with family members about any changes you've noticed in your cognitive abilities or memory. Ask your family to tell you about any changes they may have noticed;
4.
Talking with your doctor about your health conditions and the medications and supplements you take that may impact your cognitive health;
5.
Staying socially and intellectually engaged; and
6.
Getting the recommended amount of sleep.
Explore our brain health content below
Advocating for new research to better understand and alleviate age-related cognitive decline and memory loss to help people maintain their brain health and age successfully.