Want to improve brain health? Here are 12 questions to ask your doctor

• The American Academy of Neurology recently released a 12-question brain health checklist.

• The list encourages individuals to ask their doctors more questions to improve their brain health and take proactive steps to ensure they can prevent cognitive decline.

• Among these 12 factors are diet, exercise, sleep, genetics and mental health.

The American Academy of Neurology recently highlighted several factors that can improve brain health in an article published in Neurologythe medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. These factors included sleep, diet, exercise and social interactions.

Addressing various aspects of neurological health at different stages of life, the article addresses 12 specific questions people should ask their neurologist or primary care physician to help them take steps to improve their health over the course of the new year.

These 12 factors, gathered under the acronym “SAFEST BRAINS”, included:

• Sleep

• Affect, mood and mental health

• Food, diet and supplements

• Exercise

• Favorable social interactions

• Trauma avoidance

• Blood pressure

• Risks (metabolic and genetic factors)

• Affordability and membership

• Infection

• Negative exposures

• Structural and Social Determinants of Health (SSDoH)

The article encourages people to have conversations with medical professionals for advice, better medical care, and to seek additional resources.

What should I ask my doctor to have a healthier brain?

Here are the 12 questions listed in the article:

1. Sleep: Are you able to get enough sleep to feel rested?

2. Affect, mood and mental health: Do you have concerns about your mood, anxiety or stress?

3. Food, Diet and Supplements: Do you have concerns about getting enough intake or eating a healthy diet, or do you have questions about supplements or vitamins?

4. Exercise: Are you finding ways to incorporate exercise into your life?

5. Supportive social interactions: Do you have regular contact with close friends or family and enough support from people?

6. Injury prevention: Do you wear seat belts and helmets, and use car seats for children?

7. Blood pressure: Have you had problems with high blood pressure at home or during doctor visits, or have concerns about treating high blood pressure or getting a blood pressure cuff at home? House ?

8. Risks, genetic and metabolic factors: Are you having trouble controlling your blood sugar or cholesterol? Is there a neurological disease that runs in your family?

9. Affordability and adherence: Are you struggling with the cost of your medications?

10. Infection: Are you up to date on vaccines and do you have enough information about them?

11. Negative exposures: Do you smoke, drink more than one to two drinks per day, or use over-the-counter medications? Do you drink well water or live in an area with polluted air or water?

12. Social and structural determinants of health: Do you have concerns about maintaining housing, transportation, access to care and medical insurance, or physical or emotional protection from harm?

Jasmin Dao, MD, PhD, a pediatric and adult neurologist at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach and MemorialCare Long Beach, California, who was not involved in the article, identified a few factors that people should pay close attention to .

Dao said Medical news today that sleep, exercise, negative exposure (especially limiting your alcohol intake or quitting smoking), and diet were particularly important.

Meanwhile, Vernon Williams, MD, a sports neurologist and founding director of the Center for Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, who also did not participate in research, preferred to focus on sleep, exercise, mental disorders. health and nutrition/diet.

“These areas represent what I call ‘low-hanging fruit.’ There can be significant benefits to paying attention to these things, often at little or no cost,” Williams said. MNT.

3 daily habits for better brain health

When it comes to sleep, exercise and mental health, both Dao and Williams emphasized the importance of consistency.

“With everyone, consistency is key. Committing to consistent sleep, exercise and time for mental health is great for the brain,” Williams said.

Dao grouped his advice under three main principles: “Exercise regularly, (make sure you get) healthy sleep on a regular basis, and (and pay attention to your) mental health.” »

“Regular physical activity can improve your memory, mood and cognitive abilities. Exercise can also improve sleep quality and reduce stress, feelings of sadness and anxiety,” she said.

“Get a good night’s sleep every night. Healthy sleep improves cognitive abilities, such as attention, memory, reasoning and problem solving. Good sleep hygiene can also improve mental health and psychological well-being. Anxiety and depression can (also) have a significant impact on brain health. Protecting your headspace is important to reduce the risk of dementia, facilitate memory processing and improve cognitive functioning,” she added.

Setting goals to prevent cognitive decline

Dao focused on an easy-to-adopt resolution that involved limiting artificial light: reducing screen time on smartphones, computers, tablets, and playing video games.

“Excessive screen time in young adults may increase the risk of dementia, stroke or Parkinson’s disease. It can also lead to early neurodegeneration. Screen lights can also impact sleep, disrupting melatonin release and the body’s circadian rhythm. Ditching the screen can also allow you to spend more time on activities that improve your brain health, like exercising regularly, socializing with friends, spending time outdoors, and improving sleep quality. , she said.

Williams emphasized that now is always the best time to start when it comes to health.

“It’s never too late to work on your brain. The brain will respond to good habits and efforts to improve. If you want to protect and improve your quality of life, include the brain in your resolutions and goals,” he said.

View original article on Medical News Today