Americans care about brain health, but few know how to protect it

Almost every American adult says brain health matters. Far fewer say they know what to do about it.

The Alzheimer’s Association says 99% of U.S. adults view keeping the brain healthy as at least as important as maintaining physical health. Yet only 9% say they know enough about how to protect it.

The gap is glaring at a time when an estimated 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, according to the association. The U.S. Census Bureau projects the number of Americans age 85 and older will more than double by 2050, and age is a major risk factor for dementia.

A 2025 study in Nature Medicine estimated the lifetime risk of dementia after age 55 at about 42%.

Healthy habits, fuzzy connection

The Alzheimer’s Association found that more than two-thirds of Americans are worried about their brain health and about developing Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.

Most people also recognize that lifestyle choices matter. The association said 75% of Americans believe habits such as sleep, diet, physical activity and mental stimulation are very important for brain health as people age.

The trouble is that fewer Americans connect those same habits with lowering dementia risk. Only 46% said lifestyle behaviors are very important in reducing the chances of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, the association reported.

Heather Snyder, senior vice president of medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer’s Association, said Americans see midlife as an important window for taking action, but many want clearer direction on where to begin.

Juan Rodriguez, AARP’s vice president of brain health, said many people wrongly treat dementia as something that either arrives or does not. He said people can take steps that may reduce risk.

What doctors and advocates recommend

The habits linked with a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia include regular exercise, better sleep, a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, managing diabetes and blood pressure, and keeping the mind active with new skills or creative pursuits, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Rodriguez said people do not have to overhaul their lives all at once. He pointed to walking, public parks and free community resources as practical starting points.

He also highlighted hearing loss as a risk factor that often gets missed. Rodriguez said untreated hearing problems can lead people to pull back from social activities, creating broader health concerns. Traditional Medicare does not cover hearing aids, though some Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans do, he said.

Knowing is one thing. Doing is another.

The Alzheimer’s Association found that adults age 40 and older broadly believe healthy routines support brain health, but many do not keep them up consistently.

Only half said they get at least seven hours of sleep daily or on most days. Thirty-nine percent said they eat a healthy, balanced diet daily or most days. Forty-two percent said they do mentally stimulating activities, such as puzzles or learning something new, daily or most days.

Physical activity was even less common: 34% said they exercise daily or most days, while 30% said they are active less than once a week or never.

Most adults want brain-health advice from medical professionals, the association found. Two-thirds said they would prefer to learn about it from a healthcare provider, and 86% would welcome the topic during routine care. Still, only 14% said they had discussed maintaining brain health with their doctor, and 11% had talked about ways to reduce dementia risk.

The association also said Black Americans are about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as white Americans, while Hispanic Americans are about one and a half times as likely. Both groups are less likely to receive a timely diagnosis and often have more advanced symptoms when diagnosed, according to the association.

Rodriguez said more outreach is needed for higher-risk groups, especially around chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, as well as barriers tied to education and access to healthcare.

This story draws on original reporting from MarketWatch.