'I'm a Cleveland Clinic Neuropsychologist—Here's What I Wish Every Woman Knew About Their Risk for Alzheimer's and Dementia'
Jessica Caldwell, Ph.D., is the director of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention and Research Center at Cleveland Clinic.
Many women see Alzheimer's disease and dementia as their destiny because they have watched a parent, close relatives or friends suffer. Women are twice as likely as men to get Alzheimer’s disease, but now we know that it is possible to avoid it.
Science shows that up to 40% of people who have Alzheimer’s might have taken a different aging path if we had known how important healthy behaviors—like exercise, not smoking and getting medical care—were for brain health later in life. The harder part of reducing risks for brain diseases like dementia can be finding the time, energy and money to make healthy changes. Lifestyle change is a challenge, and even with the best efforts there are no guarantees, but with the help of a doctor and supportive friends or family, women can take back control of their future.
Important Lifestyle-Related Risk Factors to Know About
According to research, there are 12 risk factors related to our lifestyle that account for nearly half of today’s dementia diagnoses. These include not exercising, smoking, drinking too much and having medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure—both of which are influenced heavily by our behaviors.
Maybe more surprising, depression, being isolated socially and untreated hearing loss are also on the list. On the flip side, science also shows many behaviors that are linked to better brain function as we age—like getting enough sleep, pursuing lifelong learning and following a Mediterranean-style diet. For women with a parent or grandparent who had dementia, making these types of changes may be a way to tip the scales in favor of a better-aging brain.
Related: What Is the Mediterranean Diet and What Can You Eat On It?
The Roadblocks That Come Up
With the hope of reducing risks and changing destiny back on the table, making changes in day-to-day life might seem more worthwhile to women. Still, many women face roadblocks to making change happen. The prime time to take brain-positive lifestyle steps is between ages 30 and 60—the time in women's lives when they're likely building careers, raising children, caring for aging parents and facing menopause. For that reason, time, energy and finances may all be in limited supply.
This is made worse for women of historically marginalized communities. Systemic racism-based stress and associated inequities, like less access to gyms, doctors and grocery stores that sell healthy food, may compound the difficulty. There's no doubt that these are major challenges, but even so, doctors and support networks are key to getting women in these situations started down a healthier path. A doctor can assess risks like blood pressure and diabetes and help a woman figure out where to begin.
Related: The 11 Best Foods for Your Brain
Likewise, family and friends can help with planning and brainstorming priorities and affordable options. Creating a plan and goals, and aiming for progress instead of perfection can also help. Professional support can also be considered—like health coaches, wellness doctors, nutritionists and physical therapists.
Why More Research Is Needed
Why aren’t all women talking about reducing dementia risk—besides the fact that it can be very difficult? Despite scientific indicators that link lifestyle factors to dementia risks and brain health, no one can yet say with certainty that a specific behavior will prevent or delay Alzheimer’s or dementia. To get concrete evidence, researchers will need to follow many, many people over their whole lifespans—and that will take time. Until then, doctors cannot prescribe a guaranteed dementia preventer. Still, how many generations must wait to have access to what we already know about how important healthy behaviors can be for our aging brains?
Knowing you are at an increased risk of dementia can make thinking about the future scary for women, and trying to navigate the lifestyle changes that might reduce the odds can also seem daunting.
The good news is that women can take steps today that can impact their brain health now and as they age, and that may even help to reduce the risk for brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
As a place to start, women should have regular health screenings with their doctor and prioritize getting between seven and eight hours of sleep per night and 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise like brisk walking per week, be honest about their own stress levels and depression symptoms, and stay connected socially. Simple changes are investments in a woman’s lifetime health—and they are possible.
Next up: 'I'm a Neurosurgeon—This Is the Type of Cheese I Eat Regularly for Brain Health'
