6 science-backed ways to lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease

An estimated 6.9 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia. By the year 2050, this number may double to nearly 13 million.

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain condition, meaning it involves the gradual loss of brain function. People with Alzheimer’s lose their memory and eventually the ability to live independently. But research suggests that making certain changes to improve your overall health may lower your risk for developing dementia later in life.

“Cohort studies have shown that there are lifestyle changes that might protect brain health and these are being studied further,” says Kirk Daffner, MD, director of the Center for Brain/Mind Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and J. David and Virginia Wimberly Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. “Improving cardiovascular health, getting regular exercise, following a healthy diet, and reducing stress are among the ways people can cut their dementia risk.”

To help keep your brain healthy now and into the future, consider these lifestyle approaches.

Getting a good night’s sleep is important, no matter your age. But research suggests it may help ward off the changes in the brain that can lead to Alzheimer’s. Deficient or disturbed sleep is linked with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a 2022 review of research published in Frontiers in Neurology. There are many reasons for this. First, sleeping poorly or not enough can cause inflammation in the nervous system. It can also decrease the number of synapses (connections) in the brain and the ways that those connections communicate with each other. Insufficient sleep also contributes to lower levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This protein helps the brain grow and helps regulate memory and learning, so not having enough can potentially cause long-term harm.

Most research has focused on the effects of insufficient or low-quality sleep over the long term, so there’s no need to worry if you get an occasional bad night of sleep. But the potential connection between insufficient sleep and the risk of Alzheimer’s reinforces the importance of maintaining good sleep habits as you age. Let your healthcare provider (HCP) know if you consistently have trouble falling and staying asleep.

Following certain eating styles may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. These include the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet (a special eating plan designed to help manage blood pressure), and the MIND diet (a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets).

“A Mediterranean diet full of plant-based foods, whole grains, beans, fish, nuts, olive oil, and leafy vegetables has been shown to lower the risk of cognitive decline,” says Dr. Daffner. The MIND diet has also been linked in research to slower rates of cognitive decline. (Cognitive decline is a reduction in memory and thinking ability.)

There are a few possible reasons why diet may play a role in brain health, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The foods emphasized by these types of eating plans may help reduce inflammation, which is linked to Alzheimer’s. They might aid the metabolism of cells so that the body can better protect itself against the disease. A healthy diet might also work by reducing other Alzheimer’s risk factors, like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. There’s good evidence that the Mediterranean-style diet offers real benefits for overall health, including lowering the risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome (a group of issues including diabetes and obesity), and some cancers, so it’s a good idea to incorporate it into your lifestyle.

As people age, their social circles often shrink, leading to isolation. On its own, social isolation is connected to a host of health issues, including depression, anxiety, poor sleep, a compromised immune system, heart disease, and stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), being socially isolated can also raise the risk of developing dementia by 50 percent.

Remaining socially active can help ease many of those problems, including the loss of cognitive function. “Socialization is an important aspect in staying well emotionally and cognitively,” says Mary Sano, PhD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. “The key feature of maintaining social interactions is making connections that require give and take with others.”

Look for ways to increase time spent with people. Schedule regular time with family and friends, volunteer with community organizations, or join a club focused on your interests. Websites like VolunteerMatch or Meetup can help you find the right fit. You can also reach out to your HCP, who can offer local resources to help you build connections in your community.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, being physically active can reduce the risk of developing dementia by about 28 percent. For Alzheimer’s disease, the risk goes down by 45 percent. Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or a minimum of 75 minutes of more vigorous exercise a week. Getting more is better, but any amount of activity is better than none. “The key is to aim for consistent, regular exercise that gets your heart rate up,” Daffner says.

Exercise may even make a difference in people who already have Alzheimer’s disease. A 2023 review published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found that for people with Alzheimer’s disease, daily workouts that combine aerobic, strength, coordination, and balance exercises can improve various aspects of dementia, including memory abilities and spatial learning.

Scientists are still working to understand the connection between physical activity and Alzheimer’s disease. But the benefits of exercise extend to many aspects of physical and mental health, including lowering the risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, and depression.

Studies have shown that chronic stress can negatively affect physical health. But it also appears to increase a person’s risk of cognitive decline. “Abnormally high or prolonged spikes of the stress hormone cortisol can harm brain structures critical for memory as we grow older,” Daffner says.

People who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in particular, may be at a higher risk for developing dementia, according to a 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. There are effective treatments for PTSD, so this risk factor can be modified. It’s important to seek out and get the care you need if you have PTSD.

Though overall stress reduction hasn't been explicitly linked with preventing Alzheimer's disease, it could improve your overall health, which may help reduce your odds of developing issues with brain function. “It’s important for people to learn ways to manage their stress, for example through practices such as mindfulness meditation or exercises such as tai chi,” says Daffner. Tracking your stress can help pinpoint triggers and periods of high stress. The Sharecare app (available for iOS and Android) includes manual and voice-activated stress trackers to get you started.

What’s good for your overall health is also good for your brain. “Whether you have high cholesterol or diabetes, are overweight, or have a psychiatric or psychological issue like depression or anxiety, keeping your medical conditions under control can help to reduce your risk of cognitive loss and dementia,” Dr. Sano says.

For example, research has shown that diabetes and untreated mid-life depression are risk factors for dementia. Hearing impairment that goes untreated can also raise your risk. Even mild hearing loss may increase the risk of dementia by two times, while moderate and severe hearing impairments may increase that risk by three to five times. It’s important to treat hearing issues as soon as possible. Similarly, vision impairment is linked to dementia. According to the NIA, as many as 100,000 people with dementia in the United States may have been able to prevent their diagnosis if they’d received better eye care. As you get older, be sure to get regular eye exams to help protect yourself from dementia. 

Speak to your HCP about treating underlying medical problems and addressing mental health issues. They can recommend specialists if necessary, including a therapist.

Although Alzheimer’s doesn’t have a cure, researchers continue to explore ways to slow the progression of the disease. In July 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a drug that treats Alzheimer’s by targeting and removing amyloids, the sticky proteins that clump together in the brain and are believed to worsen the disease.

Lecanemab, which is given intravenously every two weeks, can slow cognitive decline by up to 27 percent. Research is ongoing about whether this drug could be used for people who haven’t yet developed Alzheimer’s but show signs of increased risk because of excess amyloid proteins in their brain.

Between risk factors you can influence in your daily life and new drugs, the future looks hopeful for treating and perhaps even preventing Alzheimer’s disease.