How Women Can Reduce Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

CLEVELAND - June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness month.

A report from Cleveland Clinic found that a majority of women do not realize they are at greater risk for getting Alzheimer’s. 

So, what can they do to help prevent it?

“There are two key aspects for brain health and dementia prevention. One is your medical care. So, addressing things like elevated blood pressure. A lot of times blood pressure, if it's a little high, it's brushed off as, ‘Oh, you're just a little stressed right now or you're rushing.’ But that needs to be taken seriously because it absolutely impacts our brain health down the road,” said Sandra Darling, DO, preventive medicine at Cleveland Clinic. 

Dr. Darling said the other key aspect is your lifestyle, which would include things like getting regular exercise and keeping a healthy diet. 

But what exactly does that mean?

She said a healthy diet should consist of mainly whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and legumes. 

It can also be helpful to follow the MIND or Mediterranean diet, as research has shown that both are beneficial for brain health. 

Dr. Darling adds that it’s just as important to maintain social connections and get good quality sleep. 

“Over time, sleep deprivation can really cause problems including increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. So simple sleep tips: prioritize sleep, that's number one. A lot of women will put off sleep because there's so many other things to do, and I understand we're all busy, especially if you're raising children and you're working full-time, but we must stick to a schedule. That's how we train our bodies to sleep through the night and to stay on that sleep-wake cycle with the circadian rhythm,” she explained.

Dr. Darling said you may also want to consider doing some kind of mindfulness meditation or yoga before bed. 

That can help not only with sleep but your mental health in general.