How To Help Prevent Dementia if It Runs in Your Family—Experts Say Your Genes Aren’t Your Destiny
Your genes don't decide your fate—these daily habits can help protect against memory loss
Key Takeaways
- While family history increases dementia risk, daily habits—not genetics—play a big role.
- Protecting your hearing, prioritizing sleep and staying social supports the brain.
- You don't need to overhaul your life today. Pick a few brain-healthy habits and go from there.
If you have a loved one who has suffered from dementia, you probably wish you could look into a crystal ball and know if you, too, will experience memory loss. But there’s reason to feel empowered, not fearful. There are everyday habits that can protect your brain and help prevent dementia.
In fact, a viral video on the subject recently caught our attention. Hal Cranmer, an assisted living expert working to reduce elderly hospital visits through lifestyle choices, shared a list of 23 ways to protect your brain as you age. He shared, “[Here’s] everything I’d do if my mom or dad had dementia (even if it’s just early signs):” So it got us thinking: What other habits do experts suggest to protect people with a family history of dementia? Here, the best healthy lifestyle habits and preventive measures to try so you can feel empowered about your brain’s future.
A family history of dementia is not your destiny
While it’s true that having a family history of the condition is a key risk factor for dementia, that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to develop it yourself. “If dementia runs in your family, the first thing I tell people is that your genes load the gun, but your daily habits largely decide whether the trigger gets pulled,” assures Rachel Lambert, LPC, a board-certified neurofeedback expert and Founder of Braincode Centers. “A big share of dementia risk comes from factors you can actually influence, and most of them are things you’d never guess are ‘brain’ habits.”
Woman's World Answers
8 ways to help prevent dementia if it runs in your family
While there’s no surefire way to prevent dementia, there are meaningful steps you can take to stay mentally sharp for years to come. To help reduce your risk of developing dementia in the long term, give these smart strategies a try:
Protect your hearing
“Start with protecting your hearing and your sleep; they’re brain issues in disguise,” says Lambert. “Untreated hearing loss forces the brain to work overtime and is one of the most overlooked risk factors.” Her advice: “Get your hearing checked and use hearing aids if needed.” (Learn more about how hearing loss increases the risk of dementia.)
Pick up new hobbies
“One of the most important actions individuals can take is to build their ‘cognitive reserve’— which refers to the brain’s capacity to be resilient,”says Kat Grassetti, LCSW, an EMDR practitioner specializing in women’s mental health. The key: “Staying mentally curious.”
How, exactly? “Stay cognitively challenged, not just ‘busy.’ Learning something genuinely hard, like a language, an instrument or a new skill, builds what we call cognitive reserve, essentially a buffer that helps the brain keep functioning even as it ages,” she explains. “Passive scrolling [on a phone] doesn’t count.”
Prioritize sleep
Skimping on sleep is a crucial lifestyle factor that may increase your risk of developing dementia. “Treat sleep as non-negotiable. Deep sleep is when the brain clears out metabolic waste, including the proteins tied to Alzheimer’s,” says Lambert. That brain-cleansing process is known as the glymphatic system, where cerebrospinal fluid is pumped and circulated through brain tissue to clear away damage.
“Sleep is often overlooked in conversations about dementia prevention,” adds Laura Bojarskaite, PhD, neuroscientist and sleep researcher at the University of Oslo studying neurodegeneration. “During sleep, the brain is remarkably active. Memories are consolidated and neural circuits are reorganized.” She adds, “Sleep isn’t simply rest—it’s one of the brain’s most important maintenance periods.” Remember: “You can’t build a healthy brain by sacrificing sleep for decades.”
Consume healthy fats
David Perlmutter, MD, neurologist and author of the upcoming book Brain Defenders, is all about empowering people to help prevent dementia with small, everyday tools. “For years, mainstream neurology has been focused on one thing, and that is treating symptoms. It’s time we focus on the fire, not just the smoke.”
One dietary tool he recommends: “Researchers found that women with Alzheimer’s had lower levels of omega-3s and higher levels of saturated fats, pointing to a disrupted lipid balance that may influence brain decline.” He recommends getting more omega-3 fatty acids from supplements or food sources like wild salmon in your diet. “Omega-3 levels may be the difference between women getting Alzheimer’s or not,” says Dr. Perlmutter, who serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Protect your heart
“Concentrate on actions related to improving cardiovascular function: regular exercise, maintaining a low blood pressure level, keeping blood sugars and cholesterol levels within normal limits, receiving sufficient amounts of sleep each night and abstaining from smoking,” says Amy Fitzpatrick, MD, chief medical officer at Bedrock Recovery Center.
“What’s good for your heart is good for your head,” Lambert adds. “The same vessels feed both. Regular aerobic movement is one of the most consistently protective things you can do. Move your body like it’s a prescription for your brain.”
Stay socially active
“Developing and maintaining strong social relationships and treating issues such as depression, anxiety or chronic stress are also vital in promoting cognitive wellness. Mental and brain health are interrelated during all stages of one’s life,” adds Dr. Fitzpatrick.
Get regular physical activity
Dr. Perlmutter says movement, like daily walking, can also help prevent age-related memory loss. “10,000 steps a day can decrease your risk of developing dementia by 50 percent,” he notes.
Stay on top of dental care
According to longevity and preventative dentistry expert Kami Hoss, DDS, “Your mouth is the gateway to overall health.” That sentiment was reflected in Cranmer’s larger list where he mentioned treating gum disease and talking to a dentist about removing old mercury fillings from teeth to help lower one’s risk of dementia.
Preventing dementia is not just about one brain hack
Findings from both the Cochrane systematic study review and Harvard’s research on preventing dementia show that it’s not about one habit, but a lifetime of healthy choices.
What’s more, Cranmer told his social media followers, “You don’t have to do all of it. Pick three [strategies] and start this week.”
The bottom line on how to prevent dementia
“A family history is information, not a verdict,” Lambert reassures. “The earlier you start treating your brain like something you can train and protect, the more say you have in how it ages.”
“The best strategy for preventing dementia should be viewed as a lifetime investment rather than a singular event,” adds Dr. Fitzpatrick. “Even if a person has a family history of dementia, making active decisions today can positively impact the development of brain health into the future.”
Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
