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03/28/2024 08:22:09 pm

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Doctors Reveal Three Ways to Protect Your Brain

Brain

(Photo : REUTERS/SAGE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE MIND, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA/HANDOUT) An undated image of the human brain taken through scanning technology.

It's hard to keep your brain active as you age; the so-called cognitive aging is inevitable. Experts now have three pieces of advice on how your brain can stay mentally active.

They say exercise, control for cardiovascular health and regular check-ups with your doctor are must-do.

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There are also a lot of strategies to make sure you get enough sleep; be more active in different activities such as reading, listening to music and be involved in some brain-training games. Be reminded there's not enough evidence that drugs or any other supplement can be of any help.

"We're really at the frontier of beginning to understand how aging affects the brain. [The report] looks at cognitive aging, and it looks at through a broad lens in terms of how it affects society, the individual and the family," said medical contributor Dr. Tara Narula.

Narula said aging, in terms of the brain, can be affected by genetic factors, lifestyle and environmental factors.

"For some people they can age with relatively little cognitive decline, and with other people it seems much more marked. But we know it's a very emotional issue for people; everyone wants to remain clear and sharp and make thoughtful decisions as we get older," Narula added.

Most researchers now encourage communities and businesses to make an effort to develop programs that will urge aging individuals to prioritize their health. It will also be a big task for most healthcare providers to prepare and explain thoroughly the issues to their older patients.

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