Memories matter: Build a better brain at any age INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — More than 7 million Americans 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s, and that number could nearly double by 2050. Researchers are shifting their focus. Instead of only treating decline, they now work to slow or stop the d isease before it begins. The latest Lancet Commission estimates that up to 45% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed. In 2025, the FDA cleared the first blood test to help detect Alzheimer’s earlier. New drugs such as Leqembi and Kisunla are now available for patients in the early stages of the disease. Researchers around the world are racing to save memories before they are lost. “We wanna stop the disease from ever happening,” Dr. Patricia Andrews, a geriatric psychiatrist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center said. Brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s can start 20 years or more before symptoms appear. Brain health may be shaped decades earlier by exercise, diet, sleep, and the management of conditions such as blood pressure, diabetes, and hearing loss. “It’s the combined impact of all these factors,” Jeffrey Katula, a health psychologist at Wake Forest University said. For people in their 40s and 50s, doctors recommend monitoring blood pressure. The National Institute on Aging says high blood pressure from the 40s to early 60s is linked to a greater risk of cognitive decline later in life. In their 50s and 60s, people should address hearing loss, diabetes, sleep habits, smoking, and alcohol consumption. For those 70 and older, the focus shifts to protecting existing cognitive function by staying physically active, keeping the brain engaged, and remaining socially connected. Scientists are also moving forward with more than 180 clinical trials. These studies test everything from the gut-brain connection and how the microbiome influences dementia risk to anti-inflammatory therapies and vaccines. “It can be a pill that people could take with their morning coffee and then not be worried that they’re gonna develop the disease in 10 years,” Andrews said. Researchers say the next frontier may be personalized brain health. This approach uses blood tests, genetics, and wearable data to create individual plans to lower risk. Some studies now track sleep, heart rate, and activity levels to see how daily habits predict or change cognitive decline. ...read more read less