• By Liza Torborg

Mayo Clinic Q and A: Lifelong strategies for preventing dementia

November 14, 2017

a close-up of an older woman's hand, holding a pen and working on a crossword puzzleDEAR MAYO CLINIC: Do puzzles and other activities or apps that claim to lower one’s risk of developing dementia actually work? Are there other things people can do to decrease the risk?





If your brain blood vessels stay in good condition throughout your young adulthood and midlife, they are more likely to be able to remain healthy as you age. If the health of those blood vessels deteriorates when you are younger, it’s difficult to mend the damage later. And damage to the brain’s blood vessels can be a factor in dementia.

This is not to say that incorporating healthy choices into your lifestyle if you are older won’t make any difference. They can positively affect your cognitive and physical health. But to gain the most benefit for your brain, it’s best to have them in place as soon as possible.

Social interaction is an area where anyone can make a change at any time, and it will likely have positive cognitive benefits. Regularly interacting with others — family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, community members — can lift your mood, improve your outlook and engage your brain. All of these positively affect your cognitive abilities, and being socially engaged has been shown to ease symptoms of dementia. — Dr. David Knopman, Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

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