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TIPS

to Maintain

BRAIN

HEALTH

any people are fearful of developing Alzheimer's disease, especially those 3) Track Your Brain Health and
with a family history of the condition. Researchers are investigating inno- Get Help Early
M vative treatments for Alzheimer's and other dementias, but no cure exists
right now.
There are steps people can take, however, to help maintain and support their One way to detect changes in brain
brain health. These activities often help with physical and emotional health and are health is to track memory and other
generally positive habits to foster, especially as people age. In fact, a report from thinking skill performance over time.
"The Lancet" found the risk of dementia is lower among people who adhere to these Detecting changes in memory is critical
healthy habits: to slowing the progression of Alzhei-
mer's, which can begin 15-20 years
before the onset of obvious symptoms.
Some changes in mood or memory that
may raise red flags are often noticed
1) Get Physical 2) Keep Your Brain Active by other people, not by the individual
experiencing the changes, making it im-
According to Harvard Medical Engaging in mentally stimulating portant for older adults who live alone
School, exercise keeps the brain activities may help keep the brain fit or who do not have large social circles to
healthy by helping release chemicals and potentially stave off dementia or track their own brain health.
that support the development of new other types of cognitive decline. For One option for tracking brain
nerve cells and connections between example, people who have cognitive- health is the Alzheimer Prevention Tri-
brain cells. Exercise also improves ly demanding jobs (like accountants als (APT) Webstudy, funded by the Na-
mental health, blood pressure, and or math teachers) or who engage in tional Institutes of Health, which moni-
blood sugar regulation, all of which cognitively stimulating activities (like tors an individual's brain health through
can impact the development of cog- learning a second language or how to regular online memory testing that can
nitive diseases like Alzheimer's and play a musical instrument) may be at be completed anywhere, anytime from
other dementias. Staying physically lower risk for developing cognitive a computer, laptop, or tablet. Partici-
active can become more difficult decline and dementia, according to pants take no-cost, online memory tests
if someone's health declines, but Harvard Medical School. Activities quarterly that are automatically shared
doctors and other medical providers like these and more can also decrease with researchers who track results over
can share ways to maintain physical feelings of depression, isolation, time. If changes in memory are detect-
activity even if mobility is limited. and loneliness, which occur more ed, and a participant is close enough to a
frequently as people age and are also study site, he or she may be invited to an
associated with an increased risk of in-person evaluation and, if appropriate,
developing dementia, according to given the option to join an Alzheimer's
the National Institute on Aging. clinical trial.

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