You\u00a0have\u00a0probably seen\u00a0advertisements\u00a0for\u00a0supplements, apps or online games trying to sell you on the idea that these products can prevent your brain from aging.\n<\/p>\n
While this marketing is more about profit than protecting your health, the truth is, there really are proven steps we can take to support brain health as we age. While aging, genetics, and family history can\u2019t be changed, research suggests that addressing certain risk factors may help prevent or delay up to\u202f45 percent of dementia cases.<\/p>\n
I want New Yorkers to know that the choices you make every day can have an impact on our health.\u00a0I\u00a0say that\u00a0not only as\u00a0a doctor and\u00a0the state\u2019s health commissioner\u00a0but as\u00a0someone\u00a0whose\u00a0family\u00a0has been affected by\u00a0Alzheimer\u2019s\u00a0Disease.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Growing up, my family and especially my mother, taught me how important it is to care for others. They showed me what service looks like and influenced my commitment to public health. So just as I take steps to protect my own health, I encourage you\u00a0to\u00a0do the same\u00a0for yourself and loved ones.<\/p>\n
Evidence indicates that healthy lifestyle behaviors can contribute to maintaining cognitive health over time. Many of the recommendations may be things you are already doing. Engaging in regular physical activity, following a nutritious diet, remaining mentally and physically active, managing stress and routinely monitoring overall health can all help reduce the risk of cognitive decline.<\/p>\n
For me, maintaining a healthy\u00a0diet, that includes fruits, vegetables and lean proteins,\u00a0along with regular exercise such as\u00a0walking 30 minutes every day\u00a0is important. But just as important is making time to\u00a0socialize with friends and family.<\/p>\n
Reading,\u00a0talking\u00a0or playing games with another person is one of the best ways\u00a0to\u00a0keep our\u00a0minds\u00a0active as we age.\u00a0Studies show that starting\u00a0these\u00a0behaviors as young as elementary school can have a significant impact on long term\u00a0brain health.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aside from personal behaviors and protecting your brain from physical harm,\u00a0taking\u00a0proper\u00a0care of ourselves\u00a0also means\u00a0having a good relationship with our primary healthcare providers. It is so important to\u00a0brain and overall health to\u00a0manage emerging or chronic conditions.<\/p>\n
Practicing healthy\u00a0behaviors may help reverse\u00a0the\u00a0symptoms of some types of dementia.\u00a0Regular checkups and screenings\u00a0can also be\u00a0essential in making an early and\u00a0accurate\u00a0diagnosis\u00a0of dementia, which will ensure better overall health outcomes.<\/p>\n
If your cholesterol is elevated, work with your health care provider to keep it well controlled through medication, lifestyle changes or both.\u00a0Likewise, if your blood sugar is elevated, make sure that is well managed either with diet, exercise, medication or all of the above. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0warning signs of Alzheimer\u2019s disease\u00a0are not limited to memory loss.\u00a0\u00a0Symptoms can include withdrawal from social activities or difficulty with familiar tasks, like cooking.\u00a0Talking to your doctor\u00a0about potential symptoms\u00a0can\u00a0ease your mind or put you on the right path forward to treatment and care.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
While there is still\u00a0so\u00a0much\u00a0more\u00a0to learn about Alzheimer\u2019s disease and\u00a0other\u00a0related dementias, we know more today than\u00a0we\u00a0ever\u00a0have\u00a0before.\u00a0It is important that you control what you can and invest in your own health and wellbeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I know that for me and my family,\u00a0taking\u00a0action\u00a0has meant more time together and cherished memories.\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
If you\u00a0or a loved one is facing\u00a0the potential of a dementia diagnosis, you should know more treatment options are available\u00a0than ever before.\u00a0There are vital services available to both those living with Alzheimer\u2019s or\u00a0related\u00a0dementia and\u00a0their\u00a0caregivers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The physical and emotional demands of being a caregiver of someone living with Alzheimer\u2019s disease or other dementia, can put you at risk for experiencing anxiety\u00a0or\u00a0depression, but there are resources that can\u00a0help.\u202fThe Department of Health\u2019s website is a great place to start.<\/p>\n
Someday soon, I hope a better understanding of the disease and the proven methods for prevention and treatment can give peace of mind to more families like mine.\n<\/p>\n
Dr. James McDonald is the New York State Health Commissioner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You\u00a0have\u00a0probably seen\u00a0advertisements\u00a0for\u00a0supplements, apps or online games trying to sell you on the idea that these products can prevent…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":272412,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[102788,104982,128,51912,49342,9,24,63,104983,2584,29836,129,131,130],"class_list":["post-272411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-bronx","tag-alzheimers","tag-brain-health","tag-bronx","tag-dr-james-mcdonald","tag-healthy-lifestyle","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-nys-health-commissioner","tag-op-ed","tag-supplements","tag-the-bronx","tag-the-bronx-headlines","tag-the-bronx-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272411\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}