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Staying Sharp Brain Health Screener

Which of your habits support your brain health?

Icons of red X's beside a cigarette and beer and icons of green checkmarks beside chess pieces and bell peppers
AARP (Getty Images,4)

Great news: There are 14 ways to reduce our risk for dementia, according to the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care.

“People with healthy lifestyles … were shown not only to have a lower risk of dementia than those with less healthy lifestyles but also to have dementia onset delayed … resulting in more healthy years and fewer years of illness,” the commission wrote.

This screener reviews these risk factors along with other brain-healthy habits, including the six pillars of brain health. Answer the questions below to see how your lifestyle habits stack up. For each question, select the answer that best describes your current behaviors and personal history. With each response, any risk factor will appear in red and protective factors will show as green.

This survey is for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice.

Question 1 of 17: Education

Did you complete high school?

Question 2 of 17: Head Injury

Have you ever experienced a significant head injury? (These head injuries are also called traumatic brain injuries and can be mild to severe; a mild TBI is sometimes called a concussion.)

Question 3 of 17: Hypertension

Do you have high blood pressure (hypertension)?

Question 4 of 17: Obesity

Is your Body Mass Index (BMI) 30 or above (in the obesity range)?

Question 5 of 17: Diabetes

Do you have diabetes?

Question 6 of 17: Physical Activity

Do you do fewer than 150 minutes per week of moderately active exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling?

Question 7 of 17: Smoking

Do you smoke?

Question 8 of 17: Sleep

Do you get 7 or 8 hours of restful sleep most nights?

Question 9 of 17: Nutrition

Do you eat a diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and olive oil?

Question 10 of 17: Cognitive Engagement

Do you challenge your brain with activities such as reading, tackling difficult puzzles, learning new skills or playing strategy games at least a few times a week?

Question 11 of 17: Hearing

Do you have untreated hearing loss?

Question 12 of 17: Vision

Do you have untreated vision problems? For example, do you need glasses but don’t use them? Do you have untreated cataracts?

Question 13 of 17: Cholesterol

Do you have high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol?

Question 14 of 17: Alcohol Consumption

Do you keep alcohol consumption within recommended limits (no more than one drink per day for women, two for men)?

Question 15 of 17: Depression

Do you have chronic, untreated depression?

Question 16 of 17: Air Pollution

Do you have regular exposure to elevated levels of air pollution (for example, from heavy traffic, industrial emissions or wildfire smoke)?

Question 17 of 17: Social Engagement

Do you connect often with friends or family, or participate in group activities (in person or virtually)?

Your Results

Scroll back and see how many risk factors you have (red) and how many protective factors (green) you have against cognitive decline.

Generally, the more risk factors you have for cognitive decline or dementia, the higher your potential risk. Some risk factors are hard, if not impossible, to change, such as family history or genetic risk for dementia, or your childhood level of education.

But cognitive decline is not inevitable. There are plenty of risk factors that you may be able to influence; they are called modifiable risk factors and you can move them in a more protective direction.

Certain protective health factors, such as eating well, exercising and engaging the brain, can influence how well a person maintains brain health. In fact, many risk factors can be addressed with simple lifestyle changes and appropriate medical care.

What to Do Next

If you have potential risk factors for cognitive decline or dementia, consider talking with your health care provider about ways to lower your risk. You can also visit StayingSharp.org and take the Cognitive Assessment online for a snapshot of how your brain is performing today on things like reasoning, memory and attention. Staying Sharp offers plenty of information and helpful tools to support your brain health. Small steps today can make a big difference for your future.

Click here for an overview of AARP’s Staying Sharp program. Or take the Cognitive Assessment to see how your brain is performing today.

Legal Disclaimer: Staying Sharp, including all content and features, is offered for informational purposes and to educate users on brain health care and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Staying Sharp is based on a holistic, lifestyle approach to brain health that encourages users to incorporate into their daily lives activities that are associated with general wellness. Nothing in the service should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Features including the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins, Additional Tests, exercises, and challenges assess performance at a particular moment in time on certain discrete cognitive tasks. Staying Sharp games are intended for entertainment and recreational purposes only. Various factors may affect performance, including sleep, tiredness, focus, and other social, environmental, or emotional factors. Performance is not indicative of cognitive health and not predictive of future performance or medical conditions.

 

Unused AARP Rewards points expire 12 months after they are earned, in monthly batches on a rolling basis.