An estimated 7.2 million Americans over the age of 65 are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, and this number is expected to nearly double to 13.8 million by 2060.
This rise is not just due to an aging population—it points to a growing public health crisis. While age is the biggest risk factor for memory loss, losing brain function is not an unavoidable part of getting older.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine believe there’s a powerful and often overlooked way to prevent Alzheimer’s and other types of cognitive decline: lifestyle changes.
In a recent commentary published in The American Journal of Medicine, they call on doctors, public health leaders, and policymakers to work together to promote lifestyle-based prevention strategies.
Dr. Charles H. Hennekens, a leading expert and one of the authors, pointed out that while deaths from heart disease have gone down since 2000, deaths from Alzheimer’s have increased by more than 140%. He said that up to 45% of dementia risk could be linked to things we can change, like how we live and the environments we’re in.
The researchers say that unhealthy habits—such as not getting enough exercise, eating poorly, being overweight, drinking too much alcohol, or feeling lonely or depressed—can raise the risk of cognitive decline.
Medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression are also connected to brain health. The good news is that the same healthy lifestyle changes that protect the heart may also help protect the brain.
They highlight recent results from the POINTER study, the first large U.S.-based trial to test whether big lifestyle changes can improve brain health in older adults at risk for decline. In the trial, participants who followed a guided lifestyle program had real improvements in memory, attention, and decision-making over two years.
The program included regular physical activity, a healthy diet (similar to the Mediterranean and DASH diets), mental and social activities, and regular support from health professionals and group sessions.
These results were similar to a Finnish study called FINGER, which also found that older adults who followed a healthy lifestyle plan saw benefits in brain function.
Dr. Hennekens explained that the improvements seen in both trials may be due to how these healthy habits affect the body. For example, exercise can increase brain chemicals that help grow new brain cells and reduce inflammation.
Eating a healthy diet can lower stress in the body and improve blood sugar and heart health. Staying socially active and doing things that challenge the brain may help keep the mind sharp.
Dr. Parvathi Perumareddi, another co-author, emphasized that these tools are already available to doctors and patients. They are low-cost, low-risk, and don’t rely on medication. She believes public health departments could use programs like POINTER and FINGER as models for new brain health initiatives.
The researchers also mention the financial benefits. New Alzheimer’s drugs are expensive and not always very effective.
They can also cause side effects like nausea, fatigue, and in some cases, more serious problems. In contrast, lifestyle strategies are safe and affordable. Even small improvements—like reducing risk factors by just 10% every decade—could lower rates of cognitive decline by 15%.
Caring for people with dementia also puts a huge strain on families and society. In 2024, around 12 million family caregivers provided nearly 20 billion hours of unpaid care, which adds up to over $400 billion in societal costs.
Many caregivers also experience stress and mental health challenges. That’s why the authors say we need community programs that support both patients and caregivers.
While more research is still needed, the evidence so far clearly shows that investing in healthy lifestyles can protect the brain. Dr. Hennekens said this approach can not only help individuals, but also ease the growing health care burden caused by Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
The lead author of the commentary is John Dunn, a medical student at the Schmidt College of Medicine.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies that bad lifestyle habits can cause Alzheimer’s disease, and strawberries can be good defence against Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
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