American neurologists have introduced the Brain Care Score, an interactive questionnaire that helps assess brain health and determine what lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of stroke, dementia, and depression.
Aording to the description provided by the developers at the McCance Center for Brain Health (Massachusetts General Hospital), the scale is 21 points and takes into account 12 modifiable factors – from blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels to nutrition, sleep, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, stress, social connections and “meaning/purpose in life.” .
The effectiveness of the approach was evaluated using UK Biobank data: in a study of nearly 399,000 participants, a higher Brain Care Score was statistically associated with a lower risk of dementia and stroke at a median follow-up of 12.5 years (in particular, a 5-point increase was associated with a reduction in risk across different age groups).
