Alzheimer’s disease, the seventh leading cause of death in the US, affects more than six million Americans nationwide.
While several factors that can influence your risk of Alzheimer’s, including your age, genetics, gender, and more, cannot be changed, there are several others that could lower your risk of Alzheimer’s development.
By keeping tabs on your health, strengthening your cognitive abilities, and looking after your hearing health, you can significantly lower your risk of Alzheimer’s.
6 Ways to Lower Alzheimer’s Risk
1. Eat Mindfully
Eating vitamin-packed foods with lots of color and nutrients will help not only keep your body in good shape but also your mind.
Focus on fish, beans, lean poultry, and foods with lots of iron, fiber, and healthy fats. Food is fuel, and eating the right foods can help keep your risk of Alzheimer’s low.
2. Exercise Regularly
Regular physical activity can significantly lower health numbers associated with Alzheimer’s, like blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
Go for a walk around your neighborhood, or join a gym to get some weight training in. Find a sport you enjoy doing and stick to it! Not only will you be having fun and getting fit, but you’ll be staying healthy in body and mind, too.
3. Maintain Healthy Ranges of Cholesterol and Other Health Numbers
Keep an eye on your blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and other health numbers to make sure they’re in healthy ranges for your height and weight. If not, take appropriate action to help them stay at healthy levels, whether by exercise or medication.
A healthy body contributes to a healthy mind!
4. Keep a Healthy Weight
It’s crucial to maintain a healthy weight, as being over or underweight could lead to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet of nutrient-rich foods, and doing so mindfully to avoid dangerous habits will help you maintain a good weight and successfully avoid some risk of Alzheimer’s.
5. Employ Cognitive Training Techniques
Cognitive decline is one of the leading symptoms of Alzheimer’s, including memory loss and forgetting how to do mundane tasks, such as eat, get dressed, and make food.
With cognitive training techniques, both via your healthcare provider and at home, you can strengthen your brain’s capabilities and safeguard yourself against Alzheimer’s and memory loss.
An analysis of roughly 12,500 older adults showed that cognitive training techniques helped improve cognition for those with mild cognitive impairment, which can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s.
Ways to improve your cognitive abilities at home include learning a new language or instrument, doing crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, or sudoku, and reading new books to strengthen your memory, challenge your brain to forge new pathways, and sharpen cognitive abilities.
6. Get Your Hearing Tested
Hearing loss has long been associated with cognitive decline and memory loss, and a 2022 study from the National University of Singapore found that getting hearing aids (when needed) was associated with a 19% lowered risk of cognitive decline.
Comprehensive hearing care, led by the guidance and support of a trained doctor of audiology, can make a world of difference to your risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s.
If you’d like to see how hearing care could help you lower your risk of not just Alzheimer’s but several other health conditions as well, please contact us today to book a hearing test or chat with a member of our team.
Thousand Oaks: (805) 379-0824
Simi Valley: (805) 583-8698
Oxnard: (805) 983-4214
Camarillo: (805) 484-5951
