Getting older can bring many changes, both physically and mentally. Even when you’re healthy, your brain and body start slowing down. Maintaining your cognitive health—the ability to clearly think, learn, and remember—is important for your overall well-being.
Staying Aware
Older adults are also more likely than younger ones to pick up the phone without knowing who’s calling, she explains. “Simply by doing that, you’re opening yourself up to a conversation with someone who may be an unscrupulous person trying to steal from you.”
Common scams targeting older adults include identity theft, risky or fake investments, charity scams, and people posing as relatives in distress to ask for money.
Any adult can fall victim to these sorts of scams. But Boyle and her team recently found that low awareness of tactics used by scam artists may be an early indicator of worsening brain function.
In their study, people with low scam awareness were about twice as likely to later develop Alzheimer’s disease as those with high scam awareness.
Reversing Changes
Sometimes, if you have more than one doctor, one might not know what the others prescribed. “Older adults really benefit from having a list of all their over-the-counter, herbal, and prescribed medications with them whenever they see a health care professional,” says Bernard.
Certain medications can also have dangerous, or even deadly, effects when combined with alcohol. And alcohol alone poses risks for the older brain. It can take less alcohol to alter judgment, coordination, balance, or sleep patterns in an older adult.
Dangerous drinking habits have been rising among older adults in the U.S. A recent NIH-funded study found that 1 in 10 Americans aged 65 or older binge drinks regularly. That means drinking four or more drinks on the same occasion for women and five or more for men.
Older adults may change their drinking habits to cope with the death of a partner or other loved one, or because they’re lonely. But drinking can also be part of social activities for older adults, explains Dr. Edith Sullivan, an alcohol researcher at Stanford University.
“Older adults might feel that ‘well, I’m old now, it’s OK for me to drink,” Sullivan says. But older brains and bodies are especially vulnerable to the effects of alcohol, she adds.
A recent study by Sullivan and her team used brain imaging to see how alcohol affects the brain. They found that older adults who misused alcohol had greater loss of brain tissue compared with their peers who didn’t drink. This was true even if they started misusing alcohol later in life.
Building Brain Power
Feeling a sense of purpose in one’s life also seems to help protect older adults from cognitive decline. A study from Boyle and her colleagues found that people who felt more purpose in life had fewer symptoms from brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
“The aging brain can accumulate Alzheimer’s changes, but if you’re stimulating your brain and strengthening it like a muscle, you may be better able to tolerate those changes,” she says.
Bernard stresses that getting older can also bring cognitive advantages you might not know about.
“Older adults have greater verbal ability than younger adults. They’re better problem solvers. And accumulated experiences are very helpful,” she says.
Protecting Your Brain Health
Good overall health can help you maintain your brain health. These tips can help you stay active and healthier physically and mentally:- Choose healthy foods whenever possible
- Drink enough fluid
- Limit your use of alcohol
- Don’t smoke or use tobacco products
- Get enough sleep
- Make physical activity part of your routine
- Keep your mind active with learning, teaching, and volunteering
- Stay connected with loved ones, friends, and your community
- Manage chronic health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol