The very high cost of caring for brain disorders ( Stroke, Dementia and Depression) make the subject of protecting the brain a Macroeconomic issue.
Turns out that many of the same variables that protect the heart also protect the brain. That’s not surprising since the brain is heavily dependent on blood flow. Personally, I’d far rather prevent problems than deal with the terrible, lingering chronic effects.
17 Ways to Cut Your Risk of Stroke, Dementia and Depression All at Once
A new study identified overlapping factors that affect your odds of developing these brain diseases late in life.
By Nina Agrawal, The New York Times, April 23, 2025
New research has identified 17 overlapping factors that affect your risk of stroke, dementia and late-life depression, suggesting that a number of lifestyle changes could simultaneously lower the risk of all three. … That’s because they may share underlying damage to small blood vessels in the brain, experts said.
Some of the risk factors common to the three brain diseases, including high blood pressure and diabetes, appear to cause this kind of damage. Research suggests that at least 60 percent of strokes, 40 percent of dementia cases and 35 percent of late-life depression cases could be prevented or slowed by controlling risk factors…
The study, which looked at data from 59 meta-analyses, identified six factors that lower your risk of brain diseases…
The study also identified 13 health characteristics and habits that make you more likely to develop dementia, a stroke or late-life depression…
The study found that high blood pressure was the greatest individual risk factor for developing any of the three diseases, in large part because it nearly triples the risk of stroke…
Flex your physical and mental muscles. Bonus points if it’s with friends… [end quote]
Here’s the link to the research article.
https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2025/03/21/jnnp-2024-334925.long
Potassium in the diet can help maintain normal blood pressure. I cook at home and almost never eat out. I use “Lite Salt” brand because it’s 50% potassium chloride, 50% sodium chloride.
The point of the article is that brain disorders are largely preventable by lifestyle adjustments that cost little or nothing.
Wendy