Dementia is influenced by a number of different factors, like your genes, your environment, and your lifestyle. While you can’t change your genes, here are five steps you can take to lower your risk of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
🫀Control high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, negatively affects your heart, blood vessels, and brain. It also increases your chances of stroke and vascular dementia. To treat high blood pressure, talk to your medical provider about medication options and other lifestyle changes like exercise and smoking cessation.
🛌Sleep well. Getting a good night’s sleep is integral to your bodily functions. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night. If you’re struggling to fall asleep, sleeping poorly, or think you could have a sleep disorder, talk to your doctor about potential courses of treatment.
🍽️Eat a healthy diet. You should try to eat a mix of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and seafood, unsaturated fats like olive oil, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and limit other fats and sugars.
🏃♀️➡️Stay physically active. Exercise has many health benefits, like helping to prevent being overweight and having obesity, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Try to get at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.
🗣️Connect with family and friends. Connecting with people and engaging in social activities can help you prevent experiencing loneliness and social isolation, both of which are linked to higher risks for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s.
For more information, visit Alzheimers.gov.