BOSTON – Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have developed a way to assess your risk of dementia or stroke without the need for blood work, labs, or a visit to the doctor.
What are the Brain Care Score questions?
The Brain Care Score consists of a series of simple questions related to diet, exercise, blood pressure, cholesterol, social-emotional well-being, stress management, purpose in life, and friendships. Dr. Jonathan Rosand, co-founder of the McCance Center for Brain Health, emphasizes the importance of taking care of one’s brain to prevent memory problems.
The Brain Care Score surprise
Achieving a perfect score of 21 can significantly reduce the risk of dementia and stroke, as Dr. Rosand highlights a 50% decrease in risk with just a five-point increase among the youngest age group in the study.
How to improve your score
Dr. Rosand advises tackling one issue at a time to improve your score, focusing on areas such as quitting smoking and reducing blood pressure to have a substantial impact on preventing new cases of dementia and stroke.
Take the Brain Care Score test for yourself
Dr. Rosand encourages individuals to take the test and discuss the results with their doctor to play an active role in addressing age-related brain disease. You can complete the test here or use the score sheet.
