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8 ways to boost brain health and reduce your risk of developing dementia

A doctor looks at PET brain scans at Banner Alzheimers Institute in Phoenix on Aug. 14, 2018. (Matt York/AP)
Matt York/AP
A doctor looks at PET brain scans at Banner Alzheimers Institute in Phoenix on Aug. 14, 2018. (Matt York/AP)

Dementia affects more than 6 million Americans and is blamed for more than 100,000 deaths every year. And new cases of dementia are expected to double over the next 30 years.

But research shows that there are some ways we can reduce our risk of developing dementia and cognitive decline, like moving more, drinking less, socializing and taking naps.

Here & Now‘s Indira Lakshmanan talks to Richard Sima, who writes the Brain Matters column for the Washington Post, about eight ways to boost cognitive health and help lower the risk of dementia.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom