We often think about blood pressure in terms of heart attacks or strokes, but have you considered its impact on your brain? Your heart health and your brain health are so closely related that the American Heart Association has declared “what’s good for the heart is good for the brain.”

If you’re already watching what you eat or staying active, you’re on the right track. In this article, we’ll explore the connection between weight and risk for dementia and the steps you can take to support your brain health by maintaining a healthy weight.

Humans are wired for connection. From lively conversations to shared laughter, our brains thrive on social interaction. But when social ties loosen - whether from retirement, loss of a loved one, mobility changes, or simply drifting apart - the effects on brain health can be profound.

Studies show that unmanaged type 2 diabetes significantly increases the risk of developing dementia. The longer you live with uncontrolled diabetes, the greater the threat to your memory and thinking.

Smoking speeds up aging throughout the body, including the brain, and research shows it increases the risk of developing all types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, current smokers are 40% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, with the risk increasing the more a person smokes.

Feeling like life’s pressures are wearing you down? Your brain might feel that way too. Stress isn’t just an emotional experience—it’s a physical one. When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that helps you respond to danger. But when cortisol stays high for too long, it can harm your brain’s memory center, the hippocampus, and speed up brain aging. Chronic stress changes how your brain functions and increases your risk for memory problems and dementia.

When it comes to preserving memory and cognitive abilities, most people think about things like brain games, exercise, and maybe keeping blood pressure in check. These are all important – and if you’re already taking walks or learning new skills to boost your brain health, you’re on the right path. But there’s another mid-life health factor you might not immediately connect with brain health: your vision.

Sleep isn’t a luxury—it’s one of the best things you can do for your brain. When you don’t sleep well, your brain misses its ‘clean-up’ time—when it clears waste, stores memories, and balances mood. Good sleep also helps your heart and blood pressure stay healthy.

Maybe you never ride a bike without a helmet, always buckle your seat belt in the car, or have made some changes at home to prevent falls. These might seem like insignificant common-sense precautions, but they can make a world of difference for your brain health. Protecting your brain from injury is an often overlooked – yet very important – way to reduce the risk of dementia. If you’re taking steps to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, you’re already a brain health hero.

What you eat doesn’t just fuel your body – it also feeds your brain. From memory and mood to long-term risk of dementia and other health conditions, diet plays a powerful role in how sharp and resilient your mind will be as you age. If you’re already loading up on fruits and vegetables, cutting back on processed foods, or enjoying fish a couple times a week – great work! Those choices are protecting your brain today and for years to come.

If you love reading, doing puzzles, or trying new hobbies, here’s some great news: all of those activities benefit your brain health. Research shows that education and lifelong learning help the brain build “cognitive reserve” – extra mental resilience that helps you stay sharp as you age. While formal education early in life gives you a boost, it’s never too late to strengthen your brain by staying curious and engaged.

Feeling sad is part of being human—but when sadness sticks around for more than two weeks and starts to interfere with your life, it could be depression. It isn’t about weakness or willpower; it’s a real medication condition caused by changes in brain chemistry. The good news?  Depression is treatable and treating it early could protect your brain from future problems with dementia.

Menopause is a natural transition - but it’s also a major shift that affects your whole body, including your brain. As estrogen levels fall during and after menopause, your brain’s chemistry, communication pathways and blood flow all change. These shifts can lead to symptoms like brain fog, memory lapses, and, for some women, an increased risk of cognitive decline or dementia.

Many of us diligently solve crossword puzzles, use brain-training apps, or read to keep our minds sharp. Those activities are fantastic – they challenge the brain and they’re fun. But did you know that untreated hearing loss can have an even bigger impact on your brain health than brain games?

Ever had a sinking feeling in your stomach when you heard bad news—or butterflies when you were excited? Those “gut feelings” are more than figures of speech. They’re signs of a real, two-way communication system between your brain and your gut. Scientists call it the gut-brain axis, and it plays a major role in both your mood and your memory.

Numerous studies show that people who stay active into midlife and beyond tend to maintain better memory and thinking skills as they age and have a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia. In contrast, a sedentary lifestyle (too much sitting and too little movement) can contribute to problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity – all of which take a toll on the brain over time and up your dementia risk.

Multiple long-term studies have found that people with high cholesterol in their 40s and 50s have about a 20–40% higher chance of dementia in old age compared to those with healthy levels.