• Posted April 23, 2026

Most Americans Worried About Brain Health, But Few Know How To Protect It

Nearly all Americans are worried about their brain health as they age, ranking as important or more so than their physical health, a new Alzheimer’s Association report says.

However, they don’t know what steps they can take to maintain brain health and ward off dementia, according to the 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures.

“Americans care deeply about their brain health and say that midlife is the key time to start taking steps to support it,” Heather Snyder, senior vice president of medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer’s Association, said in a news release. “But many don’t know where to start and are looking for clear guidance on actions they can take.”

An estimated 7.4 million people 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, the report says. Between 2000 and 2024, the number of U.S. deaths due to Alzheimer’s more than doubled.

The survey of more than 3,800 U.S. adults 40 and older found that nearly 9 in 10 (88%) consider maintaining brain health as they age very important.

Further, 99% said it’s at least as important to them as their physical health, results showed.

However, only about 9% of those surveyed said they know a lot about how to do so.

Previous studies have shown that good nutrition, healthy sleep, regular exercise and mental stimulation can help maintain brain health.

Nearly all surveyed (99%) consider lifestyle behaviors important for brain health, but fewer than half strongly linked those behaviors to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's or dementia, the report said.

When asked about specific habits that support brain health, people most often cited:

• Protecting against head injury (82%)

• Not smoking (72%)

• Managing stress (71%)

• Treating depression (71%)

Worse, people did not consistently practice the lifestyle habits known to protect brain health:

• Only half (50%) got at least seven hours of sleep on most days.

• Only 2 in 5 (39%) regularly eat a healthy, balanced diet.

• Likewise, only 2 in 5 (42%) engage in mentally stimulating activities like puzzle solving or learning.

• Only a third (34%) get physical activity daily or on most days, and 30% report doing so less a week or never.

Nearly three-quarters of adults (73%) said they’d be interested in participating in brain health programs, including:

• Cognitive exercises (57%)

• Health monitoring (46%)

• Nutrition (36%)

• Physical activity (26%)

Cost is the biggest factor driving their decision to participate in such a program (73%), followed by program location (67%), personal motivation (59%) and insurance coverage (58%).

Most respondents also said they’d love to talk to their doctor about brain health. Two-thirds (66%) would prefer to learn about brain health from their health care provider, and most (86%) welcome these conversations during routine care.

Unfortunately, only 14% have had a conversation about brain health with their doc, and only 11% have discussed ways to reduce dementia risk.

“These findings highlight a real opportunity to better integrate brain health into routine health care,” Snyder said. “People are motivated to protect their brain health, and clear, actionable guidance can help support those efforts.”

Nearly 2 in 5 respondents (38%) said people need to start taking steps to support their brain health during middle age, and nearly half (46%) said participation in a formal brain health program should begin around that time.

About 1 in 3 said taking steps to protect brain health is a lifelong endeavor.

“The takeaway from this report is clear: Brain health is a lifelong priority, not an issue limited to older age,” Snyder said. “By connecting efforts across individuals, communities, workplaces and health care, we can build a more equitable framework to support cognitive health and help reduce dementia risk for everyone.”

More information

Johns Hopkins Medicine has more on protecting brain health.

SOURCE: Alzheimer’s Association, news release, April 21, 2026