Seven steps to keep your brain healthy from childhood to old age
Both the heart and brain need adequate blood flow, but in many people, blood vessels slowly become narrowed or blocked over the course of their life, a disease process known as atherosclerosis, the cause of many heart attacks and strokes. Many risk factors for atherosclerosis can be modified by following a healthy diet, getting enough physical activity , avoiding tobacco products and other strategies. "Research summarized in the advisory convincingly demonstrates that the same risk factors that cause atherosclerosis , are also major contributors to late-life cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. By following seven simple steps -- Life's Simple 7 -- not only can we prevent heart attack and stroke, we may also be able to prevent cognitive impairment," said vascular neurologist Philip Gorelick, M.D., M.P.H., the chair of the advisory's writing group and executive medical director of Mercy Health Hauenstein Neurosciences in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Life...