Dementia prevention measures you can take to protect brain health today

Henry Simmons

Chief Executive, Alzheimer Scotland

Learn how promoting lifelong brain health could be a game-changer for dementia prevention.

There are various things we can do throughout life to protect our brain health — and it’s never too early or too late to start. The World Health Organization has suggested that up to 40% of dementia cases globally could be preventable, but many things need to change for that to be achieved. By taking steps to protect brain health now, we may reduce the risk of developing dementia in the future.

Dementia prevention in action

Alzheimer Scotland launched Brain Health Scotland in 2020 — the start of a movement to highlight the potential of dementia prevention. Its goal is to promote lifelong brain health and create a legacy of long-term dementia prevention strategies. By reaching out as early as possible to our schools and wider communities, we can actively engage with the public and target people known to be at risk of brain diseases.

There are many steps we can take to
safeguard our brain health and delay
or prevent certain types of dementia.

Positive steps to protect brain health

There are some pre-determined aspects, such as age and genetic characteristics, that may put us at increased risk. However, there are many steps we can take to safeguard our brain health and delay or prevent certain types of dementia. These include:

• Regular exercise
• Staying connected with other people
• Reducing risks such as alcohol and smoking
• Managing stress
• Keeping on top of existing medical conditions (eg. diabetes, high blood pressure)

Tool for tailored brain health tips

We developed an interactive online quiz called ‘My Brain Health Plan’. It walks users through a series of questions about their lifestyle and habits, generating evidence-based suggestions and personalised tips.

Empowering people to protect brain health

In 2023, we opened the UK’s first walk-in Brain Health Service and Clinic within our Brain Health and Dementia Resource Centre in Aberdeen. A multi-agency project between the Scottish Government, NHS Grampian and Alzheimer Scotland, this dedicated space enables people to recognise their risk of diseases that can lead to dementia. Making small changes now can pave the way for significant improvements in the future.