Healthy Brain Aging Initiative aims to promote ‘Super Aging’
Age, genetics, and family history all impact brain health, but a healthy lifestyle could reduce the risk of cognitive decline. The Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences partnered with LSU Health and LCMC Health to launch a new program at University Medical Center. The Healthy Brain Aging Initiative specializes in assessing your risk for Alzheimer's, dementia, and other brain aging disorders by evaluating various lifestyle factors and genetic predispositions.
The team of neurologists works with patients to minimize their risks for cognitive decline, creating a personalized plan that may include dietary adjustments, cognitive therapies, and lifestyle modifications. By focusing on brain health, physicians aim to enhance the quality of life for patients and prevent the onset of aging brain disorders.
“We are shifting the paradigm for Alzheimer’s, from palliation to prevention,” said Demetrius Maraganore, MD, FAAN, Professor and Chair of Tulane Neurology, the Herbert J. Harvey, Jr. Chair in Neurosciences, and Co-Director of the Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences. “The Healthy Brain Aging Initiative aims to reduce the lifetime risk for Alzheimer's disease and to promote cognitive SuperAging into the 90s.”
Dr. Maraganore has published more than 200 peer-reviewed studies on brain health, including using electronic medical record (EMR) data to predict Alzheimer’s and dementia risks and studying “super agers” who live beyond 90 years old to better understand healthy aging. Using an electronic medical records registry, he was part of a team that identified 45,000 Floridians over the age of 90 who were living independently and free of dementia-related diagnoses.
Louisiana, and Orleans Parish in particular, rank among the highest in the country for the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men are at risk for cognitive decline, but Maraganore believes the Healthy Brain Aging Initiative can change the future for many people across the region.
“Through a four-pillared approach of prevention, treatment, support, and research, we will achieve these goals,” he said.
For more information on the Healthy Brain Aging Initiative, please click here.
