| Memory loss does not have to be an inevitable part of aging. Occasionally forgetting where you put your keys does not mean you have a degenerative memory disorder. This table provides some facts you should know about memory loss. |
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| In the United States, 1 out of every 8 people who are 65 or older suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, which leads to loss of memory and other cognitive functions (Alzheimer’s Association, 2010). |
| The prevalence of dementia will double every 20 years, reaching 81 million by the year 2040 (Ferri et al., 2005). |
| There is no definitive way to know whether you or a family member will suffer from a neurocognitive disorder; most cases result from a complex combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. |
| Studies of both animals and people have linked physical exercise to a variety of positive changes in the brain, including enhanced blood flow, increased thickness of the cortex, and less age-related deterioration of the hippocampus (Polidori, Nelles, & Pientka, 2010). |
| Some research suggests that people who begin exercising in their thirties (and stick with it) experience less cognitive decline than their sedentary peers by the time they reach their forties and fifties (Hertzog et al., 2009), although consistent exercise at any age has lasting cognitive benefits (Cotman & Berchtold, 2002; Kramer, Erickson, & Colcombe, 2006). |
| Intellectually engaging activities such as reading books and newspapers, writing, drawing, and solving crossword puzzles have been associated with a lower risk of memory loss (Hertzog et al., 2009; Wang, Karp, Winblad, & Fratiglioni, 2002). |
| Being socially active and hooked into social networks may reduce the risk of developing dementia (Fratiglioni, Paillard-Borg, & Winblad, 2004). |