Can we save the brain? A public health question

The environmental, behavioral, and lifestyle factors that contribute to increases in the risk for cognitive decline and dementia are also factors known to be associated with increases in the risk for heart disease and stroke. The analogies between these chronic diseases go deeper. For example, public health programs designed to reduce the risks for heart disease and stroke, as well as their associated disability and mortality, can serve as valuable models for development of public health programs addressing brain health. We can save the brain by using public health approaches, but the effort will require new approaches and strong collaborative efforts across a diverse array of individuals and organizations.