New Brain Care Score Test Assesses Risk of Dementia and Stroke

• The Brain Care Score (BCS) is a new tool to measure brain health with a total of 21 possible points depending on physical, lifestyle, and social-emotional parameters.
• Each five-point improvement in the BCS test is associated with a 59% lower risk of developing dementia and a 48% lower risk of experiencing a stroke in adults younger than 50 years old.
• Experts explained that people in midlife may particularly benefit from taking the BCS.

A new test may indicate how likely you are to develop dementia or have a stroke, according to a new study.

The Brain Care Score (BCS)—a new tool to measure brain health—refers to how a person fares on 12 health-related factors concerning physical, lifestyle, and social-emotional parameters.

A study published early this month in Frontiers in Neurology found that people with a higher BCS have a lower risk of developing dementia or having a stroke later in life.

The BCS was developed in partnership with patients, families, and practitioners, Jonathan Rosand, MD, MSc, a study author and principal investigator for the Center for Genomic Medicine at Mass General Research Institute, told Health.

“We started with the question we received most often from patients and their families, ‘What can I do to take good care of my brain so that I don’t come down with a stroke or memory loss like my mother or father?’” said Rosand, who is also a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School.

He explained that the BCS takes science and converts it to information that can be used to assess someone’s risk of stroke or dementia in the future.

Each five-point improvement in the BCS was associated with a 59% lower risk of developing dementia and a 48% lower risk of experiencing a stroke among adults younger than 50 years old when they enrolled in the study.

“The components of the BCS include recommendations found in the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential Eight for cardiovascular health, as well many modifiable risk factors for common cancers,” Rosand said. “What’s good for the brain is good for the heart and the rest of the body.”

The physical aspects of the BCS include blood pressure, cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, and body mass index. Lifestyle factors include nutrition, alcohol consumption, aerobic activities, sleep, and smoking cessation. The social-emotional aspects involve having relationships, managing stress, and finding meaning in life.

Understanding and addressing these factors early on could make a huge difference in future well-being.

“Alzheimer’s disease is thought to be 15 to 20 years in the making before symptoms show, so we should be addressing lifestyle change in our 40s and 50s,” Amanda Price, a health coach and personal trainer, told Health.

“Stroke tends to strike at a younger age in men than in women, and women become more vulnerable post-menopause,” said Price, who owns The Age Well Coach and helps people in midlife reduce their dementia risk. “Vascular dementia seems to come on more quickly than Alzheimer’s, so our lifestyle in midlife is key.”

To increase your BCS and lower the chance of dementia and stroke, try doing things like eating healthy, exercising, and maintaining meaningful relationships and hobbies, Logan DuBose, MD, a geriatrics specialist and co-founder of Olera, a National Institute on Aging-funded group for dementia care, told Health.

"The study doesn't give specific tips, but it suggests that lifestyle habits like these help decrease the odds of dementia or stroke," he said.

Besides nutritious eating, regular exercise, and meaningful socializing, DuBose explained that there are other ways to lower your risk of dementia and stroke, too.

“Individuals benefit further from sleeping seven to eight hours each night, not smoking or drinking too much, and regularly following up with primary medical care,” he said. “Taking care of yourself in these ways can help keep your brain and body healthy.”

Price added that another important factor in preventing dementia is insulin resistance—which is not one of the key components of the BCS. Having hormones out of balance can be a risk factor for cognitive decline, she said.

Likewise, she encourages people to engage in strength training, be aware of their exposure to toxins, and make sure they are getting adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish), B vitamins, and vitamin D.

Price also encourages people in midlife to make sure they are stimulating their brains, too.

“The worst thing our brains can do is retire,” she said.