Lifestyle Interventions

Overview

At your last visit to the doctor, did you get advice on how to keep your heart healthy? Were there suggestions on what you can do to reduce your risk of cancer?

Many progressive doctors are now also offering advice on how to take care of your brain. Fortunately, many of the healthy habits you already have are helping to make a difference for your long-term cognitive health too.

Although there is no universally-recognized medicine to prevent Alzheimer’s disease yet, the McCance Center is accelerating the research on lifestyle interventions, as well as pursuing prevention and cures in the lab. Our research covers brain health across the lifespan. Learn more about the scientific research and clinical trials.

Developed by neuroscientist Rudy Tanzi, PhD, the SHIELD method is a research-backed lifestyle framework that guides the work of the McCance Center team. Dr. Tanzi’s research has shown that tackling Alzheimer’s disease will require methods for early detection, presymptomatic interventions, and lifestyle modifications.
Dr. Tanzi’s SHIELD acronym details six pillars of brain health that individuals can address to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in later life.

Tanzi’s SHIELD mantra to preserve and promote brain health:

S stands for Sleep
Get 7-8 hours. Sleep serves to clear away the plaques that lead to cognitive decline. Plaques begin decades before signs of decline. So, getting good sleep at any age (even power naps) can improve your brain health. Looking for ways to improve the quality of your sleep? Visit The American Heart Association’s guide to healthy sleep.

H is for Handling stress
Establishing a meditation practice and managing expectations can reduce stress. Follow the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine on social media and visit their website, for ongoing tips and guided meditations; also visit the Mental Health & Wellbeing guide from The American Heart Association.

I is for Interaction with friends
Loneliness doubles the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Learn about the Impact of Loneliness and Social Isolation on Cognitive Aging.

E is for Exercise
Exercise induces new nerve cell growth to strengthen brain regions affected in Alzheimer’s disease, and triggers the breakdown of brain amyloid. Finding an exercise that works for you is key. Starting small and working up to the recommended 150 minutes per week, can have a great impact on our brain health. Often communities have free programs, such as these offered by the City of Boston, to help you meet like-minded people and keep motivated.

L is for learning new things
Learning new things strengthens and increases the number of synapses in your brain, the connections between nerve cells storing your memories. Synapse loss correlates most with the degree of dementia. The more synapses you make, the more you have to spare. Puzzles aren’t necessarily the answer, either. A recent Harvard Health article says “Practicing a new and challenging activity is a good bet for building and maintaining cognitive skills.” Learn a new language, take a class – these activities have major benefits.

D is for Diet
Dr. Tanzi says the best diet for the brain is the Mediterranean diet, which minimizes red meat and is rich in fiber from fruit and vegetables. A plant-based diet balances the bacteria in your gut, called the “gut microbiome.” A healthy gut microbiome has also been shown to reduce amyloid plaque and brain neuroinflammation, a major killer of nerve cells in the brain. MGH nutritionist Emily Gelsomin, MLA, RD, LDN provides this advice on “Aging Well: A Diet for Your Brain,” and for a broader understanding, visit The American Heart Association’s guide to healthy eating.