How higher brain care score can improve brain health regardless of genetic risk

A study, published in the journal Neurology has explored whether healthy lifestyle choices, measured by a Brain Care Score (BCS), can lower the risk of stroke, late-life depression (LLD) and dementia, in individuals who are genetically predisposed to these conditions.

Developed by Mass General Brigham researchers, the BCS is a brain health tool that measures healthy lifestyle choices in the form of a score that then reflects combined risk for the most common causes of age-related brain health conditions.

From the data analyzed, the researchers found that individuals with a higher BCS, which reflects healthier habits, had a significant decrease in their risk of stroke, LLD and dementia even when they had a higher genetic predisposition to these conditions. This protective lifestyle effect was strong enough to offset the increased risk from genetics. The findings suggest that individuals who adopt healthy lifestyle choices can protect their brain health, regardless of their genetic risk.

In previous research, the researchers found a higher BCS is associated with a decreased risk of stroke, LLD and dementia. In this study, they discovered that this association extends to individuals who are genetically predisposed to these brain conditions.

They examined whether an individual’s BCS affects their genetic risk of stroke, LLD and dementia. After analyzing data from over 368,000 individuals in the UK Biobank, it was discovered that a higher BCS significantly reduced the risk of stroke, late-life depression and dementia in individuals who had inherited an increased genetic risk for those conditions. Strikingly, the researchers found that even a small 5-point increase in the BCS, through steps such as quitting smoking or controlling blood pressure, is strongly linked to a lower risk of brain diseases.

The work emphasizes how powerful healthy lifestyle choices can be, even for those of us who—because of our genes—are at higher risk of deterioration in our brain health as we age. For all of us, including those with higher genetic risk, the BCS offers a simple and direct guide to what we can do to protect our brains as we age. Patients can feel empowered to continue to modify behaviors to improve their health outcomes, regardless of their genetic risk.

The researchers are now working to update the BCS to make it even more user-friendly, allowing people to identify areas where they can improve their brain care without requiring detailed information about their medical histories. They are also studying how best to engage communities around the world with brain care tools that can enable them to take good care of their brains, prevent dementia, stroke, and depression, and thereby help themselves and their loved ones to flourish.