It’s never too soon to learn new skills and adopt lifestyle changes that help keep your brain sharp. And for the estimated 6.5 million Americans age 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s disease, learning to play an instrument or picking up gardening could come with exceptional benefits.
“More than 30 percent of dementia risk is reversible,” says Carolyn Fredericks, a Yale Medicine neurologist.
People with uncontrolled high blood pressure, untreated depression, unmanaged diabetes, a smoking habit or a sedentary lifestyle increase their risk of cognitive decline, she says. Despite these various genetic factors or conditions, however, research shows that challenging our brains can delay cognitive decline and lower the risk of developing dementia.
Read More: How Does Alzheimer’s Disease Lead to Death?
