How to Protect Your Cognitive Health as You Age

Brain Health Is Part of Healthy Aging

One of the most common concerns I hear from members is how to maintain their cognitive health as they age.

Many of us have watched a parent, spouse, family member, or close friend experience cognitive decline. Those experiences can make it easy to assume the same future is inevitable, but there are meaningful steps you can take throughout your life to support your cognitive health.

The good news is many of the habits that protect cognitive health are the same habits that support your overall health throughout life.

Healthy aging isn't just about keeping your body strong. It's also about maintaining the ability to think clearly, continue learning, and stay engaged in the people and activities that give your life meaning.

A Healthy Brain Starts with a Healthy Body

It's easy to think of the brain as separate from the rest of the body, but they're closely connected.

The same cardiovascular system that supplies oxygen and nutrients to your muscles also supports your brain. That's why many of the habits that improve your physical health also support cognitive health.

Regular movement, nutritious eating, quality sleep, and managing conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes all contribute to keeping your brain healthy as you age.

Protecting your brain doesn't start with a puzzle book. It starts with taking care of your whole body.

Don't Overlook Your Hearing

One area that often surprises people is the connection between hearing and cognitive health.

Research has shown that untreated hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline. One reason may be that hearing loss often leads people to withdraw from conversations and social situations because participating becomes more difficult or frustrating.

Over time, those missed interactions can reduce the mental stimulation and social connection that help keep our brains engaged.

That's why it's important not to dismiss changes in your hearing as simply "part of getting older." Identifying and addressing hearing loss is another way to support your long-term cognitive health.

Keep Learning and Stay Connected

Just as your muscles benefit from regular activity, your brain benefits from continued engagement.

That doesn't mean you need to complete crossword puzzles every day, although if you enjoy them, keep doing them.

The key is continuing to challenge your brain in meaningful ways.

Learning a new language, volunteering, joining a community organization, taking a class, mentoring someone, or developing a new hobby all encourage your brain to build new connections while also helping you stay socially engaged.

Those social connections matter just as much as the activity itself. Spending time with family, friends, and your community supports emotional well-being and provides the kind of regular interaction that contributes to healthy aging.

Measuring Cognitive Health

At Harper Health, we believe it's just as important to establish a cognitive baseline as it is to monitor blood pressure or cholesterol.

For members who may benefit from additional cognitive screening, we use the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to evaluate several aspects of cognitive function, including memory, attention, language, executive function, and visuospatial skills.

Like many of the assessments we perform, the value isn't found in a single score. It's in understanding your baseline and recognizing meaningful changes over time.

Protecting Your Brain Is a Lifelong Investment

Brain health isn't determined by one habit or one test.

It's the result of consistently caring for your body, continuing to learn, maintaining meaningful relationships, and paying attention to changes before they begin affecting your daily life.

One of the advantages of concierge medicine is the opportunity to have these conversations over time rather than waiting until a concern develops. As we get to know our members, we're able to monitor meaningful changes, answer questions early, and adjust our recommendations as their needs evolve.

Written by Dr. Poonam Merai, Internist and Geriatrician in Chicago