Preventing memory loss
(This article is excerpted from the Harvard Health Publications Special Health Report “Improving Memory: Understanding and Preventing Age-Related Memory Loss”. For more information or to order, please go to http://health.harvard.edu/IM.)
No matter what your age, it’s not too late to take steps to prevent memory loss. A good place to start is with the strategies for improving your memory described in this report.
Preventive steps
Research shows that the following strategies may help preserve your memory.
Exercise
Physical fitness and mental fitness go together. People who get regular vigorous exercise also tend to stay mentally sharp in their 70s and 80s. There are several ways in which exercise might benefit your memory.
First, it’s good for the lungs, and people whose memories and mental acuity remain strong in old age characteristically have good lung function.
Second, exercise helps reduce the risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and stroke – illnesses that can lead to memory loss.
Third, animal research has shown that exercise increases the level of neurotrophins, substances that nourish brain cells and help protect them against damage from stroke and other injuries.
The people in the MacArthur study whose mental functions remained strong were active almost daily. A study from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine concluded that individuals who exercised – by walking or by engaging in physically active hobbies, such as gardening – had a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease. So experts recommend that you build physical activity into your daily routine. Here are some examples:
- When possible, walk instead of driving or riding.
- Set aside time each day for exercise.
- Use the stairs instead of elevators.
- Exercise at home, possibly with an exercise video.
- Plant a garden.
- Take an exercise class or join a health club.
- Swim regularly, if you have access to a pool or beach.
- Learn a sport that requires modest physical exertion, such as tennis.
 Physical activity keeps both your body and your mind in shape. |
Keep learning
In the MacArthur study, the characteristic that correlated most strongly with good mental functioning in old age was a person’s level of education. Experts think that advanced education may help keep memory strong by getting people into the habit of being mentally active.
Some people continue their education with adult education classes or advanced degrees even in late adulthood.
Reading regularly, keeping up with current affairs, learning a new hobby, and playing challenging games all exercise your mind.
Don’t smoke
Studies show that smokers don’t remember people’s names and faces as well as nonsmokers do. No one knows whether smoking directly impairs memory or is merely associated with memory loss because it causes illnesses that contribute to memory loss. Smoking is especially common among people who are depressed, and depression weakens the memory. In addition, smoking increases the risk for stroke and hypertension, two other causes of memory impairment.
Maintain a healthy diet
A healthful diet rich in fruits and vegetables as well as healthy fats from fish, nuts, and whole grains is vital in maintaining the health not just of your body but of your brain as well.
Avoiding saturated fats (in meat and dairy) and trans fats (in commercial products with partially hydrogenated oils) will help keep your arteries clear and cholesterol levels healthy, and that in turn will decrease your chances of stroke, including the small undetectable ones that can damage brain function.
Avoid excess calories to maintain a normal weight; this lowers your risk for illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension, which can impair your memory.
Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables can be especially beneficial because many are good sources of antioxidants, nutrients that may protect against diseases and age-related deterioration throughout the body.
 Nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts are essential for keepking your brain healthy. |
Get a good night’s sleep
Sleep is essential for memory consolidation as well as overall health. Although people vary widely in their individual sleep needs, research suggests that six to eight hours of sleep a night is ideal.
People with breathing problems during sleep, such as obstructive sleep apnea, can sleep for 10 hours per night but never feel refreshed in the morning. Of course, for some people, getting a good night’s sleep is easier said than done, especially becaus e insomnia becomes more common with age.
Try the following:
- Establish and maintain a consistent sleep schedule and routine. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning.
- Plan to do your most vigorous exercise early in the day. Exercising in the hours immediately before bedtime causes physiological changes that interfere with sleep. Exercising in the morning, on the other hand, enhances your alertness when you need it most – at the beginning of the day.
- Avoid coffee and other sources of caffeine after midmorning, because caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake for hours afterward.
- Avoid napping during the daytime. Napping can disrupt your natural sleep cycle and prevent you from feeling tired enough to fall asleep at night.
- Don’t take sleeping pills unless nothing else works. Like sleep deprivation, sleeping pills can cause memory loss.
- Try drinking warm milk before bedtime. Some people find that it helps them feel sleepy. Milk contains tryptophan, a chemical that may help you relax.
- If you’re still awake after about 20 minutes in bed, get up and read awhile to help yourself relax.
Cultivate social support
The MacArthur researchers described a study in a nursing home in which residents were asked to do a simple jigsaw puzzle. During a practice session:
One group was given verbal encouragement by one of the experimenters as they practiced doing the jigsaw puzzle.
The second group was told how to do the jigsaw puzzle.
The third group got no social support or how-to advice.
Later, those in the group given encouragement did better than they had during the practice session. The people who had been told what to do had more trouble during the test than they’d had in the practice session. And those who had received neither encouragement nor advice did neither better nor worse.
Being too quick to show a person what to do can lower that person’s self-confidence and motivation to figure things out. In other words, it can instill a sense of helplessness.
Troubleshooting memory problems: Common memory lapses and strategies to overcome them |
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| What you forget | How to remember better |
| Names | When you meet someone for the first time, use his or her name in coversation. |
| Think about whether you like the name. | |
| Think of people you know well who have the same name. | |
| Associate the name with an image, if one comes to mind. For example, link the name Sandy with the image of a beach. | |
| Write the person’s name down in your memory notebook, personal organizer, or adress book. | |
| Where you put things | Always put things you use regularly, such keys and eyeglasses, in the same place. |
| For other objects, repeat aloud where you put them. | |
| As you put an object down, make a point of looking at the place where you put it. | |
| If you still don’t think you’ll remember, write down in your memory notebook or personal organizer where you put the object. | |
| What people tell you | Ask someone to repeat what he or she just said. |
| Ask the person to speak slowly; that way, you’ll be able to concentrate better. | |
| Repeat to yourself what the person said and think about its meaning. | |
| If the information is lengthy or complicated (such as advice from your doctor), use a small cassette recorder or take notes while the person is talking. | |
| Appointments | Write them down in an appointment book, in a calendar that you look at daily, or in your personal organizer. |
| Things you must do | Write them down in your personal organizer or calendar. |
| Write yourself a note and leave it in a place where you’ll see it (for instance, on the kitchen table or by the front door). | |
| Ask a friend or relative to remind you. | |
| Leave an object associated with the task you must do out in a prominent place at home. For example, if you want to order tickets to a play, leave a newspaper ad for the play near your telephone. | |
| If you must do something at a particular time (such as take medicine), set an alarm. | |
| Adapted with permission from Winifred Sachs, Ed.D., Center for Cognitive Remediation and Treatment, Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center. | |
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