Seeing your main doctor, dentist, and other health teams is important to stay healthy, find problems early, and manage any health issues. It’s also important to be open and honest with them, be involved in your care decisions, ask questions until you understand, and make a plan to follow their advice.

Getting vaccinated every year for flu, RSV, COVID, and pneumonia helps protect you from getting sick with serious infections. These illnesses can cause high fevers and other problems that may lead to confusion, memory loss, and even brain damage, especially in older adults. Vaccinations help keep you out of the hospital and are important for keeping your body and brain healthy.

It's normal for people to take different over the counter and prescription medicines for various health issues. Medicines can help, but they can also be dangerous if not taken correctly. It's easy to take too much medicine, forget a dose, or mix medicines that shouldn't be taken together. Even a small mistake can send you to the emergency room or hospital. That's why it's important to have a plan for taking your medicines every day.

Mood problems, like depression and anxiety, make it much harder to think clearly, focus, remember things, and do everyday tasks. Depression can damage the parts of the brain that help with memory, called the hippocampi. Reducing depression, anxiety, and stress can lower the risk of dementia and slow down the worsening of mild memory problems to Alzheimer's and other dementias.

Many people are okay with talking about physical health problems but feel uncomfortable admitting they have feelings like fear, anxiety, sadness, or loneliness. However, paying attention to your feelings and doing something to improve them, if needed, are very important for staying healthy.

• angry outbursts or lashing out at others
• changes in appetite
• ongoing anxiety, worry, or fear
• feeling hopeless or worthless
• frequent mood swings
• increased use or abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs
• irritability
• loss of interest or pleasure in doing things
• not taking care of yourself or your duties
• sadness or despair that does not go away
• sleep problems or a lot less energy
• thoughts of death or suicide

It's important to talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms, especially if they last for two weeks or more. There are many ways to treat mood problems, like using medicine or other strategies. Get medical help right away if you are thinking about death or have a plan to harm yourself.

High blood pressure can hurt your heart. If it is not treated, it can also harm your brain.

Studies show that very high cholesterol can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia. The first steps to lowering high cholesterol are eating healthy and exercising. If needed, doctors may also prescribe medications, like statins, to help lower cholesterol.

Many studies show that diabetes can double a person's risk of getting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease. High blood sugar that isn't controlled well is linked to a higher risk of memory and thinking problems. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, it's important to check your blood sugar regularly to help protect your brain.

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