Primary care physicians help maintain brain health

As the country ages, there is growing interest in maintaining brain health. Mild cognitive impairment affects an estimated 1 in 5 Americans over the age of 65. One in seven people has dementia, and the number is expected to triple by 2050.

“Primary care is a good hub for practice-based efforts to prevent or postpone cognitive decline,” said Ronald Lazar, chair of the Scientific Statement Writing Group, in a news release. Lazar directs the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

“Prevention does not begin in old age. It exists along the health care continuum from pediatrics to adulthood,” he said. “The evidence in this statement shows that early attention to these factors improves the outcome of later life.”

This statement provides primary care physicians with brain health in the treatment of adults guided by AHA’s Life’s Simple7, a collection of lifestyle goals that have been shown to help achieve ideal heart and brain health. We are asking you to integrate. These include blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar control. Increased physical activity; eat a healthy diet. Lose weight; do not smoke.

The statement also calls for assessing patient risk factors for cognitive health, such as depression, social isolation, excessive alcohol use, sleep disorders, poor education, and deafness.

“Scientists are learning more about how to prevent cognitive decline before brain changes begin,” said Lazar, a professor of neurology and neurobiology. “A summary of our latest research shows that in addition to Life’s Simple 7, other factors such as sleep, mental health, and education optimize brain health in addition to cardiovascular health, a more comprehensive lifestyle. It turned out to be a strategy. “

Dr. Deborah Levine, one of the co-authors of the statement, said it was not too early to target ideal heart and brain health risk factors. It’s never too late.

“For example, low blood pressure levels reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly,” she said. “In adults of all ages, Life’s Simple 7 metrics prevent stroke, which more than doubles the risk of dementia.”

Levin, an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Medicine in Ann Arbor, said additional risk factors could help doctors identify patients who may require special attention.

For example, “Primary care physicians can help patients reduce their risk of dementia by identifying and proactively treating vascular risk factors such as high blood pressure. Black and hispanic individuals, women. These high-risk groups are a top priority because poorly educated individuals are at increased risk of dementia. “

According to a statement, recent studies show that high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking in adulthood and middle age increase the likelihood of cognitive decline in middle age. And they accelerate cognitive decline in the elderly.

“Many people think that high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and other risk factors only affect heart health, but these very same risk factors affect our brain health,” Lazar said. Mr. says. “Patients may be more likely to pay attention to the importance of addressing modifiable risk factors if they understand the link.”

This statement defines brain health using the terms cognition, which includes memory, thinking, reasoning, communication, and problem solving.

The report shows that the combination of these features allows people to navigate the everyday world. The ability to think, solve problems, remember, recognize and communicate is essential to a successful life. Their loss can lead to helplessness and addiction.

“Surveys show that these domains are affected by factors that are within the control of change,” Lazar said. “When people have cognitive impairment, prevention and mitigation are important because current treatment options are very limited.”

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