How you can keep your brain healthier at any age

(NC) Sometimes health issues are easy to spot. If you see that you’re bleeding or feel yourself coughing or having trouble standing, you know to seek help. But what if the issue is with the part of you responsible for spotting the signs and making the decision?

Paying attention to cognitive changes at any age is crucial for long-term brain health. For instance, subtle memory changes, such as forgetting recent conversations, frequently misplacing items or struggling with routine tasks, may be a sign of early Alzheimer’s disease.

As you age, adopting healthy lifestyle habits can help reduce your risk and maintain your brain health. According to the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, here are some habits to focus on:2

• Engaging in regular physical activity, such as walking, cycling or gentle yoga. This helps reduce risk factors such as depression, high blood pressure or cholesterol.
• Maintaining an active social life. Spending time with friends, volunteering or even chatting with a store clerk can help reduce stress and avoid isolation.
• Eating a balanced diet can help maintain your physical and mental health.
• Keeping your brain active by learning new skills or hobbies, playing games or completing puzzles can help challenge your brain and maintain cognitive function.

While living a healthy lifestyle can help reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, there are other risk factors that cannot be changed—you can still develop the disease even if you do everything “right.” But new treatments are making a difference to those affected.

There are treatments that can slow down cognitive decline

One group of treatments is known as disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). They’re designed to target the root cause of Alzheimer’s, potentially slowing the progression of the disease. By delaying decline, DMTs may give patients and their families more time to share memories, maintain daily activities and stay engaged in the routines that bring them comfort and connection. The current DMTs approved for use in Canada, such as lecanemab, are most effective in the early stages, which is why early diagnosis is so important.

By staying aware of changes in brain health in yourself or those close to you, you can be better prepared to respond early. You can speak with your doctor or a qualified health care professional to learn more about recognizing early signs of Alzheimer’s, the importance of getting diagnosed as soon as possible and how adopting healthy lifestyle habits can support brain health.