Health
Stroke, dementia and depression share these 17 preventable risk factors
Three of the most common aging-related diseases share many of the same risk factors — and they can all be reduced through lifestyle changes.
That’s according to a new study from Mass General Brigham (MGB), which identified 17 common risk factors all linked to stroke, dementia and late-life depression.
The researchers combed through previously published studies of risk factors associated with those three conditions, then determined which ones can be controlled through healthy behaviors.
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They also predicted the impact each risk factor had on quality of life and mortality, according to a press release from MGB.
“The suggestion that reduced activity may be a symptom rather than a cause of brain disease challenges how we interpret early signs.” (iStock)
The 17 risk factors that are shared by at least two of the diseases include blood pressure, kidney disease, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, alcohol use, diet, hearing loss, pain, physical activity, purpose in life, sleep, smoking, social engagement and stress, the researchers listed.
The findings were published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.
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Senior author Sanjula Singh, MD, PhD, principal investigator at the Brain Care Labs at Massachusetts General Hospital, described the discovery as “hopeful.”
“This means there are real opportunities for prevention. Whether it’s managing your blood pressure, staying physically active, eating well or maintaining social connections, small changes in your daily routine can help you take better care of your brain over time,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Small changes in your daily routine can help you take better care of your brain over time.”
Brian Snelling, MD, of the Miami Neuroscience Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, was not involved in the study but shared his input on the findings.
“The influence of factors like chronic pain and a sense of purpose on brain health was notable and often overlooked in neurological care,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Also, the suggestion that reduced activity may be a symptom rather than a cause of brain disease challenges how we interpret early signs.”
Total cholesterol was one of the modifiable risk factors shared by at least two of the three cognitive disorders. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, said he agrees with the findings of the study.
“These factors are all well-proven to decrease inflammation in the body and thereby the risk of stroke, dementia and late-life depression,” he told Fox News Digital.
Incremental changes
To keep from becoming overwhelmed, the researchers recommend regarding the 17 factors as a “menu of options.”
“You don’t have to address them all at once — starting with one to three small, realistic changes can already make a meaningful difference,” said Singh. “These findings might help people consider which of these 17 risk factors could be a starting point to take better care of their brains.”
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Singling out one area to start with, Singh recommended measuring blood pressure and taking steps to keep it at a healthy level.
“There are many ways to control your blood pressure — reducing salt intake, increasing physical activity, eating more fruits and vegetables, managing stress and taking medication when prescribed,” she advised.
Singling out one area to start with, the lead study author (not pictured) recommended measuring blood pressure and taking steps to keep it at a healthy level. (iStock)
Other important areas to focus on include sleep, social connections, blood sugar and physical activity, according to the researcher.
“The most important thing is to start somewhere — even small improvements can make a meaningful difference for your brain health,” she said.
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Many of the factors are interconnected, Singh noted.
“Progress in one area often supports progress in others,” she said. “For example, becoming more active may help to improve sleep or lower blood pressure.”
Managing blood pressure and kidney health, as well as staying mentally and socially engaged, are key strategies to protect the brain, according to Snelling.
“Proactive brain care should start well before symptoms appear,” he said.
Limitations of the study
Like any study, Singh noted, this one had several limitations.
“We focused on modifiable risk factors that overlapped with at least two out of the three conditions — as a result, we may have excluded important risk factors that are specific to just one condition, particularly certain psychological or behavioral factors related to late-life depression,” she told Fox News Digital.
Maintaining social connections is one of the most important strategies for protecting brain health, according to experts. (iStock)
The researchers also relied only on existing meta-analyses, which meant some potentially important factors in smaller studies may have been missed.
“Additionally, the strength of evidence varied across risk factors and conditions, and we couldn’t establish causality — only associations,” Singh said. “Still, we hope this work offers a useful starting point for prevention-focused research.”
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Snelling agreed that while the large review shows strong associations, it doesn’t confirm cause and effect.
“It also highlights the need for more high-quality data, especially around late-life depression.”
“Proactive brain care should start well before symptoms appear.”
Overall, experts agreed the study emphasizes that lifestyle changes can be instrumental in promoting health and longevity.
“Diet, exercise, sleep and having a purpose in life aren’t just good for brain health — they are also critical in preventing numerous chronic diseases,” family physician Dr. Brintha Vasagar, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, told Fox News Digital.
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“Your family medicine physician can help you identify which changes would have the most impact on your health.”
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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