Reducing Your Risk of Alzheimer Disease

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA

The cause of Alzheimer disease is not known. Living a healthy lifestyle may help lower the risk. Here are some tips:

Exercise regularly. Aim for 150 minutes or more of physical activity each week.
Eat a healthful diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, seeds, olive oil, and fish.
Drinking alcohol may help decrease the risk, but it should be used in moderation. This means no more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men. Drinking too much can increase the risk of dementia.
Stop smoking.
Reach or maintain a healthy weight.
Manage high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Cognitive training programs may maintain brain function.

References:

Alzheimer dementia. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/alzheimer-dementia. Updated August 9, 2019. Accessed October 8, 2019.

Alzheimer's disease medications fact sheet. National Institute on Aging website. Available at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-medications-fact-sheet. Updated April 2, 2018. Accessed October 8, 2019.

Atri A. The Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Spectrum: Diagnosis and Management. Med Clin North Am. 2019 Mar;103(2):263-293.

Risk factors. Alzheimer’s Association website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed October 9, 2019.

What is Alzheimer's? Alzheimer’s Association website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed October 8, 2019.

Last reviewed September 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Rimas Lukas, MD
Last Updated: 10/27/2020

EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.