Can everyday habits help keep your brain healthy as you age?

What if some of the things you already do for your heart, body and overall wellbeing could also matter for your brain?

When we think about keeping the brain healthy, puzzles and memory games often come to mind. But research into cognitive ageing points to a much bigger picture. How much we move, our cardiovascular health, hearing, social connections and other aspects of everyday health may all have a role to play.

This matters because dementia affects millions of families around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 57 million people were living with dementia in 2021, with nearly 10 million new cases each year.

There is no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, and many of the factors that influence it are outside our control. But one message from the research is becoming increasingly clear: looking after the brain isn't separate from looking after the rest of ourselves.

Brain health is bigger than memory

Our brains change throughout life. Occasionally taking longer to remember a name or learn unfamiliar information can be part of normal ageing and doesn't necessarily indicate dementia.

Dementia is different. It describes several diseases that affect memory, thinking and the ability to carry out everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form and, according to the WHO, may contribute to around 60–70% of dementia cases.

Age remains the strongest known risk factor, and genetics also matter. But dementia is not considered an inevitable consequence of ageing. Research increasingly suggests that some of the factors associated with risk may be influenced throughout our lives.

That changes the conversation around brain health. Instead of asking only how we can “train” our memory, we can look more broadly at how we live.

What can we actually influence?

One of the most significant recent developments came from the 2024 Lancet Standing Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care.

The Commission identified 14 potentially modifiable factors associated with dementia risk across different stages of life. They range from physical inactivity, smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes to hearing loss, social isolation, depression, untreated vision loss and air pollution.

Its researchers estimated that addressing these factors could potentially prevent or delay nearly 45% of dementia cases at a population level.

That's a striking number, but it needs context. It doesn't mean an individual can reduce their personal dementia risk by 45% simply by changing their habits. Many of these factors are shaped by genetics, healthcare access, education, environment and socioeconomic circumstances, and much of dementia risk cannot currently be modified.

The more useful takeaway is simpler: brain health is connected to many of the things that shape our wider health throughout life.

Why movement and heart health matter to the brain

Moving our bodies may be one part of that picture.

Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, bringing together evidence from more than two million people, found that higher levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of dementia compared with lower levels of activity.

That doesn't prove exercise prevents dementia. Much of the evidence is observational, which means other differences between more and less active people may also contribute. But it adds brain health to an already long list of reasons movement matters.

The connection with cardiovascular health is important too. Our brain depends on a continuous supply of blood and oxygen, so factors affecting our blood vessels can also be relevant to cognitive health.

The SPRINT MIND trial, involving more than 9,000 adults with hypertension, explored whether more intensive blood-pressure management could influence cognitive outcomes. It did not find a statistically significant reduction in probable dementia, but it did find a 19% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment in the intensive-treatment group.

That isn't a reason to change your blood-pressure target yourself — those decisions belong with a healthcare professional. What it does reinforce is that taking care of your heart and blood vessels may also matter to the health of your brain.

Hearing, connection and the world around us

One of the more surprising factors associated with cognitive health is hearing.

The 2024 Lancet Commission identifies hearing loss as one of its potentially modifiable dementia risk factors. And the relationship may extend beyond the ear itself. When hearing becomes difficult, conversations can become harder to follow, social situations may become more tiring and some people may gradually participate less.

A major clinical trial called ACHIEVE explored whether treating hearing loss could influence cognitive decline among older adults. Across the entire study population, the hearing intervention did not significantly reduce cognitive decline. However, among participants already at higher risk, researchers observed slower cognitive decline over three years.

That doesn't mean hearing aids prevent dementia. But it gives us another reason not to dismiss changes in hearing as something we simply have to accept with age.

Social connection is part of this wider picture too. The Lancet Commission also identifies social isolation as a potentially modifiable risk factor. The reasons are likely complex: relationships can bring conversation, cognitive stimulation, emotional support and opportunities to stay active, while hearing, vision, mobility and health can all influence our ability to stay connected.

Brain health, physical health and social wellbeing are not separate stories. They continually interact.

Do brain games really work?

So where do crosswords, Sudoku and brain-training apps fit?

If you enjoy them, there's no reason to stop. Mentally stimulating activities can be enjoyable and give us opportunities to practise particular skills. But no single puzzle or commercial brain-training programme has been shown to guarantee protection against dementia.

The U.S. National Institute on Aging notes that there isn't currently enough evidence to conclude that commercially available brain-training apps provide the same lasting cognitive benefits seen in some structured research interventions.

And perhaps that's another reason to think more broadly about keeping our minds engaged.

Reading something unfamiliar, learning a language, playing music, developing a skill, joining an activity or having a good conversation can all challenge us in different ways.

Supporting the brain doesn't have to look like “brain training”. It can simply look like continuing to learn, participate and stay curious.

Brain health starts before older age

One of the most important ideas in modern dementia research is that brain health isn't something to start thinking about only when we become older.

The Lancet Commission looks at influences across the whole course of life, from education earlier in life to cardiovascular, sensory and social factors through adulthood and later years.

That means there isn't one perfect “brain-health routine” to follow. It may look like moving regularly, looking after cardiovascular health, getting hearing or vision changes checked, continuing to learn, staying connected to other people and seeking appropriate medical care when something changes.

None of those actions guarantees that someone will avoid dementia. They are simply parts of looking after our wider health that may also have relevance to how our brains age.

This September, World Alzheimer's Day gives us an opportunity to think differently about brain health. Not only about dementia itself, but about the everyday ways we can support our physical, mental and social wellbeing throughout life.

At VIWELL, that's an important part of how we think about wellbeing: the different dimensions of our health don't exist independently. What supports one part of our wellbeing can often connect with another.

Looking after your brain isn't only about protecting your memory for the future. It's part of looking after your overall wellbeing today.

References

1. World Health Organization. Dementia. WHO Fact Sheet.
2. Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Liu, K. Y., et al. (2024). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. The Lancet, 404, 572–628.
3. Iso-Markku, P., Kujala, U. M., Knittle, K., Polet, J., Vuoksimaa, E., & Waller, K. (2022). Physical activity as a protective factor for dementia and Alzheimer's disease: Systematic review, meta-analysis and quality assessment of cohort and case-control studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 56, 701–709.
4. Williamson, J. D., Pajewski, N. M., Auchus, A. P., et al. (2019). Effect of intensive vs standard blood pressure control on probable dementia: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 321(6), 553–561.
5. Lin, F. R., Pike, J. R., Albert, M. S., et al. (2023). Hearing intervention versus health education control to reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss in the USA (ACHIEVE): A multicentre, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 402, 786–797.
6. National Institute on Aging. Cognitive health and older adults. National Institutes of Health.