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CR.ORGGUIDE TO WELLNESS 81The study did find that older adults’
brains had less blood-vessel growth,
which means a 70-year-old’s brain prob-
ably doesn’t function the same way as
the brain of a 20-year-old, says Tan, who
was not involved with the study.
Still, “as people move into their 60s
and beyond, if they are proactive about
their health—they exercise, eat right,
manage their heart health, and in gen-
eral keep their brain active—there’s a
good chance they can keep their brain
sharp for decades,” he says. Consider
this expert advice.Control Health Conditions
Some medical concerns associated with
aging can affect the brain as well as the
body. For instance, high blood pressure,
especially in middle age, is linked to
a higher risk of dementia later in life,according to a 2016 American Heart
Association statement. And a study pub-
lished this past June in the journal Nature
Chemistry suggests that high cholesterol
can trigger the formation of amyloid-beta
protein, a key player in Alzheimer’s
disease. Atrial fibrillation (AFib), a heart
rhythm disorder common in older adults,
has also been associated with dementia.
So work with your doctor to control
blood pressure and cholesterol, and note
that those with AFib who take a blood-
thinning drug cut their risk of dementia
by almost half, in a study published in
2017 in the European Heart Journal.
Sleep apnea has also been shown to in-
crease amyloid-beta protein. If you snore
loudly, frequently wake up with morn-
ing headaches, or find yourself nodding
off during the day, it can be a good idea
to make an appointment to see a sleepspecialist, says Thomas Wisniewski,
M.D., director of the Center for Cognitive
Neurology at NYU Langone Health.
Other conditions that could affect the
brain include depression and hearing
loss. See your doctor if you have feelings
of sadness or inexplicable irritability
that last for longer than two weeks. And
if you notice difficulty hearing the TV
or conversations in noisy places, get
your hearing checked, Wisniewski says.Get a Move On
Regular aerobic activity boosts blood
flow to your brain and helps maintain the
size of the brain’s hippocampus, which
is involved in memory and learning, Tan
says. A 2016 study that Tan was involved
in found that the more active older adults
were, the larger their hippocampus. “The
protective effects were highest in those
over age 75, which suggests that it’s never
too late to start,” Tan adds.
To get exercise’s protective effects, you
need 30 minutes of aerobic activity most
days of the week, says Ronan Factora,
M.D., program director for the Geriatric
Medicine Fellowship at the Cleveland
Clinic. That means working out at a level
where you can say words such as “yes” or
“no” but are unable to hold a conversa-
tion. For more smart fitness strategies,
see “How to Exercise for Brain Health,”
on page 83.
It’s also important to limit sitting,
even if you get regular physical activity.
Research published last April in PLOS
One found that adults who sat for 3 to
7 hours a day had substantial thinning of
their medial temporal lobes, which can
be an early sign of impending dementia,
says study co-author Gary Small, M.D.,
director of the UCLA Longevity Center.Choose a Brain-Healthy Diet
Eating plans that are rich in produce,
whole grains, legumes, and sources ofYou may have heard
that computerized
“brain training” games
can help to stave
off cognitive decline.
But a number of
studies haven’t found
them to be very use-
ful. Instead, partici-
pate in intellectually
challenging and
interesting activities
that are new to you,
such as learning to
paint. “Whenever we
learn something that’s
completely novel tous, we form new brain
connections,” says
UCLA’s Zaldy Tan, M.D.
Even inconsequential
activities can bring
real benefits. A large
Chinese study of
people 65 and older,
published in JAMA
Psychiatry in May 2018,
found that those who
regularly participated
in intellectual activities
such as reading
books or newspapers,
and playing board
games, card games,or mahjong, had a
significantly lower risk
of dementia over seven
years of follow-up.
Keep up social activities
and connections,
too. “Social isolation
is another risk factor
for dementia,” Tan
says. Volunteering is
a particularly good
option. Older adults
who do so have a
lower risk of dementia,
according to a study
published last year in
PLOS One.DO BRAIN-TRAINING GAMES
REALLY HELP?