Looking after your brain as you age

As you get older, your brain changes. Brain cells may not work in the same way and blood flow to the brain can decrease slightly, which can make it take longer to process information or recall details.

Cognition refers to how we how we think, learn and understand things. Changes to cognition are a normal part of ageing and are not the same as developing dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

It’s good to know that many brain functions can remain strong as you age, especially with an active lifestyle, good sleep, social connection and regular physical activity. What’s more, looking after your brain supports overall healthy ageing.

Keeping the brain healthy

Across your life, the way you live, learn, eat, sleep and move helps protect your brain. Many activities that are good for your brain are important for heart health as well.

Maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise and limiting alcohol intake can reduce your risk of cognitive decline and other conditions. Social connection is another important part of brain health.

Eating a wide range of colourful fruits and vegetables also helps to support brain health by providing a mix of important nutrients that protect and nourish the brain.

Trying new activities, like exercising with friends, volunteering, doing challenging puzzles or learning new skills, helps keep the brain active.

It’s also important to get regular health checks. That’s because poor heart health, hearing loss and untreated vision loss increase the risk of developing dementia.

Everyday supports for memory and thinking

Perhaps when you were younger you could remember deadlines and social events easily. As you get older, it does get harder for most people.

Reducing stress is important for brain health, but this can feel difficult when we live busy, complex lives.

Using simple tools can help take pressure off the day-to-day. Using calendars, diaries, reminder apps, lists and medicine organisers can make daily tasks easier.

Some people like to leave important items (such as their phone, keys, wallet or glasses) in the same place in the house, so they are easy to find.

These helpful habits can also help us stay social, active and connected as we age. Isolation is one of the worst things for our brains, so it’s important to think about what might help us keep up a healthy social life.

Dementia is different to normal ageing

Normal ageing can make some memory tasks, like recalling details or concentrating, a little harder.

Up to 60% of women going through menopause report changes to their memory, or feelings of brain fog, but this doesn’t mean they have dementia.

It’s also important to know that dementia is not a part of normal ageing.

There are many types of dementia, which can affect memory, mood and thinking in everyday life. Different types of dementia include Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. These conditions cause a significant change in a person’s usual ability to complete everyday tasks.

Keeping your brain healthy is one way to reduce your risk of developing dementia and slow down cognitive decline.

When to seek help

When it comes to dementia, here are my 3 key messages:

1. Talking to your doctor about your brain health and understanding your overall risk for dementia at any age is important, but it’s particularly important in midlife. This is a key time when you can often modify your risk of going on to develop dementia.
2. If you do notice any changes in your memory, thinking or learning, it is really important to discuss these with your doctor. There can be many reasons for these changes other than dementia, and the sooner you talk to your doctor, the better. Your doctor will help figure out what is going on and be able to put the right supports in place to help you.
3. Remember to try to eat well, sleep well, limit alcohol, keep your mind and body active and stay socially connected.