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.