Older Adults Expect to Lose Brain Power, but Most Don't Ask Doctors How to Prevent Dementia

A national poll found many Americans in their 50s and early 60s are concerned about declining brain health, particularly if they have loved ones with memory loss and dementia, reports ScienceDaily . A majority of respondents said they take supplements or do puzzles to ward off this decline, yet few have consulted with doctors about substantiated ways to prevent memory loss. About 50 percent of respondents to the University of Michigan (U-M) Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation's National Poll on Healthy Aging expected to develop dementia as they aged, and almost the same percentage worried about this possibility. Research suggests fewer than 20 percent of people who have reached age 65 will lose cognitive ability from Alzheimer's, vascular dementia, or other disorders. Yet just 5 percent of the entire poll cohort, and 10 percent of those reporting a family history of dementia, had apparently spoken with a healthcare provider about prevention. Nearly three quarters of those with a family history of dementia said they were "somewhat" or "very likely" to develop the condition as they got older versus 32 percent of respondents with no family history. "Most haven't sought advice from medical professionals, who could help them understand which steps actually have scientific evidence behind them," said U-M's Donovan Maust. "Many people may not realize they could help preserve brain health by managing their blood pressure and blood sugar, getting more physical activity and better sleep, and stopping smoking."