We’ll give you the bad news first.
Research shows 48% of women and 36% of men will experience a stroke or develop dementia or depression at some point in their lives.
The good news is that a new study says you can significantly control the risk of developing one or more of these conditions by making a few simple changes.
At least 60% of stroke, 40% of dementia and 35% of late-life depression can be attributed to modifiable factors — and while these conditions seem unrelated, there’s a surprising amount of overlap.
“Dementia, stroke, and late-life depression are connected and intertwined, so if you develop one of them, there’s a substantial chance you may develop another one in the future,” lead author Jasper Senff, a post-doctoral fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a press release.
“And because they share these overlapping risk factors, preventive efforts could lead to a reduction in the incidence of more than one of these diseases, which provides an opportunity to simultaneously reduce the burden of age-related brain diseases.”
Here are the six factors:
Alcohol intake
Booze has become quite the controversial subject in the health sphere.
On one hand, the surgeon general has warned that any amount of alcohol increases the risk of several cancers.
On the other hand, experts like Dan Buettner say drinking one to three glasses of wine is one of the longevity secrets of the world’s Blue Zones.
When it comes to brain health, this new study indicates low to moderate alcohol intake is beneficial, possibly because alcohol plays a role in one of the other risk factors — social connectedness — thereby potentially outweighing the physical health hazards.
Brain games
Games, puzzles and crosswords have been shown to lower the risk of dementia, as does reading or learning a second language.
The idea is that anything that gives your mind a bit of a workout will keep you sharp well into your twilight years.
Diet
The carnivore diet may be the trendiest thing when it comes to weight loss right now.
But when it comes to brain health, the Mediterranean diet — which leans heavily on vegetables, fruit, dairy, fish and nuts — seems to be the clear winner.
Exercise
In keeping with previous findings — AKA what everyone already knows — moderate to high physical activity was found to be another modifiable risk.
Other studies have shown that just 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week can lower your risk of all-cause mortality by 31% in comparison to no physical activity.
That could be something as simple as taking a brisk walk or a yoga class. For bonus brain health points, bring a friend!
Socializing
The rumors are true: people need people.
In our increasingly virtual world, it’s important to keep up your “social fitness” and prioritize real relationships and face-to-face interactions.
Studies show that people with more social connections have better memory, sharper thinking, and a lower risk of dementia.
Regular interaction keeps your mind engaged, reduces stress and even boosts feel-good chemicals like oxytocin and dopamine.
Sense of purpose
In Okinawa, Japan, locals call it “ikigai” — roughly translated as “reason for being.” In Nicoya, Costa Rica, it’s known as “plan de vida,” or “life plan.”
In both regions, people with a strong sense of purpose not only live longer but stay mentally sharp well into old age.
Scientists think it works by lowering stress, encouraging social connections and giving people a reason to get out of bed each morning — literally adding years to their lives.
Some of the other modifiable risk factors mentioned in the study include high blood pressure and blood sugar levels, excess weight, cholesterol, eating a lot of red or processed meat, smoking, loneliness, stress and sleep disturbances.
You don’t have to tackle them all at once, but the researchers note that making a few small changes — especially in middle age — can make a big difference.