It's estimated that more than 55 million people worldwide live with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. And that number continues to grow.

Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, says Alzheimer's disease, like many other conditions, can be passed down through families. 

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

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"In terms of family traits, Alzheimer's disease has two main types. There's one form that's truly inherited in what's called an autosomal dominant fashion," says Dr. Petersen.

In this type, each child of a parent with Alzheimer's has a 50% chance of inheriting the mutated gene which leads to early-onset Alzheimer's, but that is only 1% of all Alzheimer's disease.

"The vast majority, though, still has some hereditary influence. Like many other diseases, Alzheimer's disease can run in families. If you have first-degree relatives with Alzheimer's disease, your risk may be up three or fourfold over the general population," Dr. Petersen says.

While the risk increases, it doesn’t mean you'll develop the disease.

Dr. Petersen says to stay involved in intellectual activities, such as reading and playing chess. Be socially active.

"Don't withdraw. Don't avoid going out. Stay involved," he says.

Follow a healthy diet, get plenty of rest and find ways to reduce stress.

"The combination of all these factors may improve your quality of life, and perhaps could postpone any cognitive impairment," says Dr. Petersen.

Related posts:

• Researchers discover new molecular drug targets for progressive neurological disorder
• Mayo Clinic expert explains why a change is needed when talking about dementia
• For older adults at risk of cognitive decline, hearing aids may reduce risk by half

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Aphasia is a condition that can affect a person's ability to communicate. To better understand the condition, the Mayo Clinic News Network reached out to Dr. Hugo Botha, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic, to explain.

What is aphasia?

Aphasia is a broad term that refers to a problem with language. So, for example, patients with aphasia may have trouble understanding what other people are saying, understanding what they read, or may have trouble putting their thoughts into words. It is not a disease in the sense that something like diabetes is a disease. There are many different diseases that can cause aphasia – for example, stroke or head injuries, or progressive brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease.

When aphasia is the main symptom of a progressive brain disease it is called primary progressive aphasia.

Because aphasia can result from many different diseases, the specific symptoms, treatment and prognosis varies greatly depending on the underlying cause and severity.

What causes aphasia?

Aphasia most commonly results from damage to the language centers in the brain, which are primarily found in the left half of the brain in most people. It is often associated with other symptoms that reflect damage to the left side of the brain or areas close to the language centers. For example, patients may have trouble moving or coordinating the right side of their body, have problems with their speech, or may have cognitive issues. However, aphasia in and of itself does not mean that someone has cognitive problems outside of language. In fact, many patients with aphasia may seem cognitively impaired because they have a hard time understanding or producing language. This can be very frustrating to patients and loved ones.

Patients with aphasia may have nonlanguage impairments, especially ones that reflect damage to the left half of the brain. However, aphasia does not imply cognitive impairment, and many patients with aphasia seem more cognitively impaired than they truly are.

How is aphasia treated?

Treatment of aphasia can be divided into three categories. The first set of treatments applies to all or most patients with aphasia and are focused on improving or maintaining someone’s ability to communicate. This includes speech and language therapy, communication strategies for family and friends, and, in some cases, assistive devices, such as text-to-speech applications. The second set of treatments depend on the underlying cause of the aphasia. For example, if someone has aphasia from a stroke, there may be specific treatments needed to address the stroke and prevent further strokes.

Similarly, if someone has aphasia from a progressive brain disease there may be further tests or treatments available. The final set of treatments address other symptoms that may accompany the aphasia. For instance, if patients also have problems with their speech or with their vision because of damage to those areas occurred along with the aphasia, they may need specific rehabilitation and strategies to deal with those. 

Some treatments apply to just about everyone with aphasia, such as speech therapy. However, other treatments depend on the cause, and so it is crucial to get an accurate diagnosis in terms of the cause of a patient's aphasia.

Related post:

• "Mayo Clinic Q and A: Speech therapy often can help those whose speech is affected by stroke."

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic has announced its 2023 Distinguished Alumni Awards, which acknowledge and show appreciation for the exceptional contributions to medicine of six Mayo Clinic alumni. This year's honorees are Stephen Burkhart, M.D.; Mary Burritt, Ph.D.; Gerald Gleich, M.D.; Morey Haymond, M.D.; Celestia Higano, M.D.; and Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards, established in 1981, honor Mayo Clinic alumni recognized nationally and internationally for achievements and leadership in education, research, clinical practice or administration.

More about the 2023 recipients:

• Dr. Burkhart is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and Baylor College of Medicine in San Antonio. He completed an orthopedic surgery residency at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Burkhart expanded the body of knowledge in orthopedic surgery and transformed the practice, developing techniques, instrumentation and devices that revolutionized arthroscopic shoulder surgery. He has 72 U.S. patents and 20 applications under consideration. Dr. Burkhart served as president of the Arthroscopy Association of North America from 2002 to 2003. In 2020, that group established the annual Stephen S. Burkhart Shoulder Innovation Research Award.

• Dr. Burritt is an emeritus professor of laboratory medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. At Mayo Clinic, she was the first female member of the Clinical Chemistry faculty and the first woman to direct a clinical laboratory. She played a key role in establishing clinical chemistry as a discipline in laboratory medicine. She completed a fellowship in pathology at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester and joined the Mayo Clinic staff in 1978. Dr. Burritt served in leadership positions in national and international organizations for more than 30 years. She retired from Mayo Clinic in 2006.

• Dr. Gleich is an emeritus professor of immunology and medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and a research professor at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Dr. Gleich joined the Mayo Clinic Department of Medicine in 1965 and retired in 2001. He is the former George M. Eisenberg Professor of Medicine and Immunology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and a Mayo Clinic Distinguished Investigator. He chaired the Department of Immunology for nine years. Dr. Gleich and colleagues discovered and described five novel syndromes, including Gleich Syndrome.

• Dr. Haymond is a distinguished professor emeritus at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He joined the Mayo Clinic Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism in 1978 and served as director of the Clinical Research Center and chair of Mayo’s Institutional Review Board. Dr. Haymond defined the regulation of leucine and protein metabolism, including the effects of substrates and hormones on intracellular and extracellular amino acid flux and metabolism. His use of minidose glucagon and dosing algorithm are now common practice nationally and internationally in pediatric and diabetes practice.

• Dr. Higano is an oncologist at Madrona Oncology in Seattle, Washington. She was one of the first women to achieve prominence in academic urologic oncology and is recognized internationally for her work in prostate cancer. She completed a residency in internal medicine at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester. Dr. Higano pioneered the use of intermittent androgen deprivation therapy and studied its effects on bone mineral density and cognitive function in prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence. She conducted the first clinical trial showing interferon was an alternative to a second bone marrow transplant and studied the use of interferon in patients with cytogenetic-only relapse.

• Dr. Petersen is the Chester and Debbie Cadieux Director of Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research and a consultant in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He completed medical school at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and a neurology residency at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education — both in Rochester — and joined the staff in 1984. He has made significant contributions to clinical neurology, neuroscience and the growth and development of scientific programs in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Dr. Petersen’s pioneering work has contributed significantly to disease-modifying Alzheimer’s therapies that work in the early symptomatic stages of the disease.

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About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and to providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact

• Jay Furst, Mayo Clinic Research and Education Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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More than 55 million people worldwide are believed to be living with dementia, according to the World Health Organization. And women are likely to be twice as affected by dementia as men.

Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities. It's not one disease. And Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.

Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mayo Clinic, says you can't prevent dementia, but you can reduce some of your dementia risks. In fact, there are a dozen risk factors that are modifiable.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (0:59) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Not every older adult will develop dementia, but there are risk factors that can be modified or changed.

"Some of these are cardiovascular issues, like blood pressure, smoking, obesity, diabetes and education," says Dr. Petersen. "Sleep is an important factor, as well as social isolation and the development of depression."

Heavy alcohol use, hearing loss and air pollution also may be risk factors.

If one were to attack one or more of these, you may actually be able to reduce your risk of developing cognitive impairment as you age."

Dr. Petersen says stay active — physically, socially and intellectually.

• Exercise.
• Read books.
• Go to lectures.
• See family and friends.

And get your hearing checked.

"Most importantly is sleep hygiene. Many people have difficulty with sleeping as they age for a variety of reasons," says Dr. Petersen.

More dementia related posts:

• Mayo Clinic Minute: Women and Alzheimer’s disease
• Consumer Health: Is there anything you can do to prevent Alzheimer’s disease?
• Consumer Health: What is vascular dementia?
• Dementia-related pain: What caregivers need to know

For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a nonpatient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

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Black History Month is a month for all people to celebrate and learn about the diverse and important contributions of Black Americans to American society and culture, as well as to reflect on the ongoing fight against racism, inequity and discrimination.

Mayo Clinic News Network is profiling Mayo Clinic physicians who are focused every day on achieving health equity through their work.

Meet Dr. Floyd Willis, a family medicine physician and investigator at the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. He is dedicated to connecting minority patients to research, clinical trials and care.

Watch: Black History Month - Dr. Floyd Willis on the importance of inclusive Alzheimer's Disease research

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"Many describe Alzheimer's and other memory loss diseases as the silent killer," Dr. Floyd Willis says. "It can insidiously creep into your family or your neighborhood."

Dr. Willis has been a practicing family medicine physician for more than 30 years. He's drawn to problem-solving, particularly ones that have a community-wide impact.

"Black people in America are about twice as likely to get Alzheimer's disease and other memory loss disorders — and there are interesting and complicated reasons behind that," Dr. Willis says.

Connecting the community to solutions is why he has helped the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Jacksonville, Florida, recruit participants into research studies.

"It's extremely important to understand how we can predict who might get it and, if possible, discover early treatments for (Alzheimer's disease)," Dr. Willis says.

High blood pressure, diabetes and obesity have been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease — factors that are also disproportionately higher in Black Americans.

"Often, communities are unaware that treating those chronic diseases and keeping the body healthy also keeps the brain healthy," Dr. Willis says. "It's important that we get this information out, as it may be a way to reduce some of this increased risk for African Americans."

The Alzheimer's Disease Research Center's outreach in Jacksonville's historically Black communities revealed a deeper understanding of cultural barriers.

"It's key to build trust for someone to reveal all of these very personal things about their mind, their brain, their thought, which some people equate to their spirituality," Dr. Willis says. "Once you can convince people that, yes, you can trust the system, and yes, memory loss is something that we should talk about — it's not just a thing that happens to everyone, as they get older — some of it can be prevented."

Dr. Willis says a change in memory doesn't automatically mean a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

"The things that can affect the heart and the things that can affect the kidneys can also affect the brain," Dr. Willis says. "Work with a primary care physician to get all of those things that injure the arteries under control."

In his decades of outreach and advocacy, Dr. Willis says what drives progress is diverse representation — from patients and study participants to researchers and physicians — and "...partnering with the community."

"Involving the community in the work that (researchers) are doing, asking them what they find important, what they want us to study, and then try to put your priorities in with them," he says.

Related posts:

• Black History Month: Dr. Alyx Porter on shaping the future generation of physicians
• Read more about Alzheimer's disease research at Mayo Clinic
• Plasma biomarker screening could improve accuracy, health equity in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis

For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, and other safety protocols were followed.

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Changes to your body and brain are normal as you age. However, there are some things you can do to help slow any decline in memory and lower your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or other dementias.

Here are six things I recommend to my patients in order of importance:

1. Exercise regularly.

Exercise has many known benefits, and regular physical activity also benefits the brain. Multiple research studies show that physical active people are less likely to experience a decline in their mental function and have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

These benefits result from increased blood flow to your brain during exercise. It also tends to counter some of the natural reduction in brain connections that occur during aging, reversing some of the problems.

Aim to exercise several times per week for 30 to 60 minutes. You can walk, swim, play tennis or do any other moderate aerobic activity that increases your heart rate.

2. Get plenty of sleep.

Sleep plays an important role in your brain health. Some theories state that sleep helps clear abnormal proteins in your brain and consolidates memories, which boosts your overall memory and brain health.

Aim for seven to eight consecutive hours of sleep per night, not fragmented sleep of two- or three-hour increments. Consecutive sleep gives your brain the time to consolidate and store your memories effectively. Sleep apnea harms your brain's health and could be why you may struggle to get consecutive hours of sleep. Talk with your health care team if you or a loved one suspects you have sleep apnea.

3. Eat a Mediterranean diet.

Your diet plays a large role in your brain health. Consider following a Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes plant-based foods, whole grains, fish and healthy fats, such as olive oil. It incorporates less red meat and salt than a typical American diet.

Studies show people who closely follow a Mediterranean diet are less likely to have Alzheimer's disease than people who don't follow the diet. Further research is needed to determine which parts of the diet help brain function the most. However, we know that omega fatty acids found in extra-virgin olive oil and other healthy fats are vital for your cells to function correctly, appear to decrease your risk of coronary artery disease, increase mental focus and slow cognitive decline in older adults.

4. Stay mentally active.

Your brain is similar to a muscle — you need to use it or lose it. There are many things that you can do to keep your brain in shape, such as doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku, reading, playing cards or putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Consider it cross-training your brain. Incorporate different types of activities to increase the effectiveness.

Most health care teams don't recommend the paid brain-training programs available. These programs often overpromise results or focus on memorization skills that aren't useful in everyday life. Your brain can get just as good of a workout through reading or challenging yourself with puzzles. Finally, don't watch too much TV, as that is a passive activity and does little to stimulate your brain.

5. Remain socially involved.

Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress, which can contribute to memory loss. Look for opportunities to connect with loved ones, friends and others, especially if you live alone. Research links solitary confinement to brain atrophy, so remaining socially active may have the opposite effect and strengthen the health of your brain.

6. Keep your blood vessels healthy.

The health of your arteries and veins is important to your heart health but it is also critical for brain health. Get your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol checked regularly and take steps to keep your numbers within a normal range.

Increase your physical activity, eat a Mediterranean diet and decrease your sodium consumption to lower blood pressure and cholesterol values. Finally, tobacco and alcohol use are impactful on brain health as well, so only drink alcohol in moderation and don't smoke. Moderate drinking is defined as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.

Kelsey Kidd is a nurse practitioner in Neurology in Mankato, Minnesota.

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Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

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If your family member has Alzheimer’s disease, does that mean you’ll get it too?

“There’s a truly inherited form of the disease called familial Alzheimer’s disease, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease," says Dr. Ronald Petersen, of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Petersen says people with this rare, genetic form of Alzheimer’s have a 50-50 chance of getting the disease, often at an early age, say, in their 40s or 50s.

“The vast majority of the disease is called sporadic, but even in sporadic cases, there can be a familial tendency," he says.

Sporadic cases tend to happen after age 65. So even if you don’t have a known genetic link but do have relatives with Alzheimer’s disease, your risk could be double or triple that of the general population.

“In general, people 65 years and older, the risk of getting the disease is perhaps 10%,” says Dr. Petersen.

How can you reduce your risk? Dr. Petersen recommends moderate exercise; brain games; socialize; and eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean sources of protein.

___________________________

For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — More than 55 million people worldwide are believed to be living with dementia, according to the World Health Organization. Ronald Petersen, M.D., a neurologist and director of Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, says you can’t prevent dementia, but you can reduce your risk.

Dementia is not one disease, but instead a term for a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.

There are more than a dozen risk factors that people can address, Dr. Petersen says.

"They include blood pressure, smoking, obesity and diabetes," Dr. Petersen says. "Sleep is an important factor. Many people have difficulty sleeping, for a variety of reasons, as they age.”

Heavy alcohol use, hearing loss and air pollution also may be risk factors.

“If you attack one or more of these, you may actually be able to reduce your risk of developing cognitive impairment as you age."

Dr. Petersen says it is important to stay active — physically, socially and intellectually.

• Exercise.
• Read books.
• Go to lectures.
• See family and friends.

And have your hearing checked, he adds.

###

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Susan Barber Lindquist, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic expert provides tips for reducing dementia risk appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My mom is in her 80s, and I've noticed that her memory seems to be slipping. Sometimes she forgets a person's name or can't recall what she did the day before. Is it normal to have these types of lapses at her age or should I be worried they are signs of something more serious?

ANSWER: It is understandable that you are concerned about changes in your mother's memory. Memory lapses and modest decline in thinking skills are common as people age. There's a difference, however, between normal changes in memory and memory loss associated with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. And some memory problems are the result of treatable conditions.

It may help to think of memory function as running on a continuum, with each person's memory and cognitive functioning falling somewhere along it. Some people have sharp memories and can recall even the smallest details, while others struggle to remember big events. Memory changes can be viewed as movement along this continuum.

Minor changes in memoryas a person ages are considered normal. This includes misplacing reading glasses or occasionally having difficulty finding the right word. These situations are common and within the range of normal memory changes. These types of lapses don't interfere with daily life and are not considered signs of dementia.

Mild cognitive impairment is a larger change along the memory continuum. This occurs if a person is experiencing memory changes in addition to cognitive changes, such as thinking or reasoning skills. Symptoms could include short-term memory problems, repeating conversations and questions, and increased reliance on lists. However, people with mild cognitive impairment usually can manage their own finances, medications and household chores, and drive without concern.

For some people, mild cognitive impairment does not worsen. Their memory and function remain constant for the rest of their lives. For others, it is an early symptom of a neurodegenerative condition such as Alzheimer's disease.

You may be concerned that your mother is developing dementia. It's important to know that dementia is not a specific disease, but rather a group of symptoms that affects memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life. Unfortunately, dementia has a negative connotation. What it really means is that a person's brain function is impaired enough that the person cannot live alone and requires help with some daily tasks. Memory loss that disrupts daily life is one of the first and more recognizable signs of dementia.

Other early signs can include:

• Asking the same questions repeatedly.
• Forgetting common words when speaking.
• Mixing words up, such as saying "bed" instead of "table."
• Taking longer to complete familiar, simple tasks, such as operating a microwave or washing machine.
• Being unable to perform complex tasks with many steps, such as following a recipe or playing a board game.
• Misplacing items in inappropriate places, such as putting a wallet in the refrigerator.
• Getting confused while walking or driving in a familiar area.
• Transposing numbers, such as when balancing a checkbook or dialing a telephone number.
• Limiting participation in conversations.
  
  

I recommend that you schedule an appointment for your mother with a memory care expert. Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions cannot be diagnosed by completing a one-time memory test.

Regardless of diagnosis, here are a few things that you can do to help your mother's memory:

• Encourage independence and purpose.
  Every person wants to feel purposeful, so help your mother remain active and performing daily activities for as long as possible. You may need to modify some activities. For example, labeling cabinet doors or writing instructions for household appliances can provide a sense of independence.
• Foster social interaction.
  Research has shown that regular social interaction slows cognitive decline. However, when people start to have memory problems, they often pull back socially to avoid embarrassment. Schedule social time with a small, safe group who is familiar with your mother so she doesn't need to worry or feel self-conscious about repeating stories or asking questions.
• Talk about preferences.
  Some people want to know if they have already asked a question or be gently reminded. This could agitate others. Ask her which option is preferred and recognize that this could shift as conditions change. Identify a way to confirm that she would like help. A simple nod or finger flick could signify that it is OK to lend support or assistance.
• Create a predictable and soothing environment.
  Establishing and strengthening routine habits and minimizing memory-demanding tasks can make life easier for all. Keep her keys, purse and regularly used items in the same place. Post a large calendar in a common area to track daily schedules and appointments. Remove excess clutter to create a restful environment.
• Encourage exercise.
  Your mom may not be able to run a marathon anymore, but regular movement improves blood flow, moderates mood and improves sleep. Gardening, walking and dancing are low-impact, safe activities for many people.
• Plan healthy meals.
  People with memory concerns may forget to eat, lose interest in preparing meals or not eat a healthy combination of foods. Make every calorie beneficial by planning nutritionally dense meals that are rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, fish, healthier fats, and herbs or seeds.

It can be challenging to cope with cognitive and memory changes. Remember to surround yourself with a care team that includes neurology, neuropsychology and psychiatry, as well as other practitioners who can offer more advice. — Kari Mongeon Wahlen, Neurology, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mankato, Minnesota

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Related Articles 

• Mayo Clinic Minute: Reducing dementia risks published 6/21/22
• Mayo Clinic Q and A: 4 ways to reduce your risk of dementia published 6/8/22
• Consumer Health: Are there ‘Alzheimer’s disease genes?’ published 3/30/22
• News Release: New computational model proposed for Alzheimer’s disease published 3/28/22
• News Release: Cardiovascular risks may be worse for thinking, memory skills in middle-aged women published 1/5/22

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: Memory loss appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am in my mid-40s and have two young children. My mother developed memory issues in her early 60s, and it has progressively worsened. Her sisters also have related issues. How can I reduce my risk — and my children's risk — for dementia? Are there certain foods, supplements or activities that we should incorporate into our lives to lower the chances for memory loss?

ANSWER: Dementia describes symptoms that affect a person's memory, thinking and social abilities to the point that it's difficult to perform normal daily activities. Dementia is caused by brain disease. Alzheimer's disease is the most common and the one best known to the public. Diseases that affect the blood vessels — the same diseases that cause heart attacks and stroke — are the second most common cause of dementia.

Having a family history of dementia increases your risk of developing the condition. However, many people with a family history never develop symptoms. And those who don't have a family history also may experience memory issues as they age.

Consider these four tips to reduce your overall risk of memory challenges.

1. Participate in activities that stimulate the brain.
   Consider puzzles and computer games. But make it a habit over your lifetime, as research suggests that the value of cognitively stimulating activities builds up over a lifetime. That means that acquiring a good education; working in a job that is mentally stimulating; and taking part in pastimes, hobbies and social activities that require mental focus are important for reducing your risk of developing dementia.

• Focus on education and learn new skills.
  Studies have shown that the more years of education a person has, the lower the dementia risk. This appears to be because people who spend more time involved in learning tend to develop more robust networks of nerve cells and connections between those nerve cells within their brains. Those networks are better equipped to handle the cell damage that can happen due to brain disorders that may lead to dementia.

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
  As with other health issues, a healthy lifestyle is equally important for maintaining brain health. Eating well, maintaining a healthy weight, participating in regular exercise, and avoiding conditions that increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes also can reduce your risk of dementia. Taking time to effectively manage your cholesterol and blood pressure, not smoking, and limiting alcohol consumption also have been shown to improve cognitive health later in life. And that's because these measures affect the health of the blood vessels in your brain, neck and heart. It's also important to get a good night's sleep and to treat sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. Supplements to sleep should not be necessary if you eat a balanced diet.

• Maintain social interaction.
  Research shows that social interaction at any age will have positive cognitive benefits. Regularly interacting with others, including family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and community members, can lift your mood, improve your outlook and use your brain. These regular interactions positively affect your cognitive abilities, and this has been shown to ease symptoms of dementia.

As to your children specifically, good habits start early. The earlier you start them on practicing healthy habits, the more likely they are to sustain them. This will benefit them in later years. Make sure they also are living as healthy a lifestyle as possible. If their brain and heart blood vessels stay in good condition throughout young adulthood and midlife, your children are more likely to be able to remain healthy as they age.

If the health of those blood vessels deteriorates when people are younger, it's difficult to mend the damage later. And damage to the brain's blood vessels can be a factor in dementia.

This is not to say that incorporating healthy choices into your lifestyle if you are older won't make any difference. These choices can still positively affect your cognitive and physical health.

If you are concerned that you may be experiencing memory issues earlier than your mother, despite changing your lifestyle, reach out to your primary care provider or a neurologist for additional guidance. — Dr. Gregory Day, Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida

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Related Articles 

• Consumer Health: Are there ‘Alzheimer’s disease genes?’ published 3/30/22
• New computational model proposed for Alzheimer’s disease published 3/28/22
• Plasma biomarker screening could improve accuracy, health equity in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis published 3/17/22
• Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Well-being and hope for dementia patients, caregivers published 11/29/21
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Family risk of Alzheimer’s disease published 11/24/21
• Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Mayo Clinic experts discuss new Alzheimer’s treatment option published 6/15/21
• Mayo researchers, collaborators identify ‘instigator’ gene associated with Alzheimer’s disease published 4/19/21

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