Aging, Brain and Nervous System, Dementia, Prevention

Lifestyle changes can reduce dementia risk by maintaining brain plasticity — but the time to act is now

There are several new drugs making their way to the market for Alzheimer’s disease (one of the most common forms of dementia). However, they are still far from a cure and are currently only effective for early-stage Alzheimer’s patients. So lifestyle changes may be our best hope of delaying dementia or not developing dementia at all.

Illustration of a nurse helping an older woman with a cane.
Aging, Brain and Nervous System, Dementia, Diet

Aging with a healthy brain: How lifestyle changes could help prevent up to 40% of dementia cases

By adopting positive lifestyle habits, we could theoretically prevent about 40 per cent of dementias. While there is no guarantee of warding off cognitive decline, people can greatly reduce their risk of dementia by increasing their physical activity levels, ensuring they are mentally active and increasing social contact, while avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption.