Alzheimer’s Awareness Month: 5 Brain Health Checks Worth Knowing

November 2, 2026

Brain health involves more than memory. Your hearing, vision, cholesterol levels, sleep quality, and even everyday safety habits can all play a role in long-term cognitive health.

November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, an opportunity to look beyond the signs of memory loss and consider other factors that may affect brain health. An estimated 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2026, and researchers continue to identify factors that may influence the risk of cognitive decline.*

While no single habit can prevent Alzheimer’s disease, understanding potential risk factors can help you make more informed decisions about your health.

Alzheimer’s & Brain Health By the Numbers

7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are estimated to be living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2026.*
About 1 in 9 Americans age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s.*
99% of Americans say brain health is equally or more important than physical health, yet only 9% say they know a lot about how to maintain it.*
Up to 45% of dementia cases worldwide could potentially be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, according to researchers’ population-level estimates.**
Nearly 13 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. In 2025, those caregivers provided more than 19 billion hours of care.*

5 Brain Health Checks Worth Making

1. Don’t Ignore Changes in Hearing or Vision

Hearing and vision changes often happen gradually, making them easy to overlook. Maybe you’re turning up the television more often, struggling to follow conversations in noisy environments, or finding it harder to see clearly at night. Beyond affecting everyday activities, hearing loss and vision loss have been identified as potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia.**

What you can do: Pay attention to changes rather than automatically adjusting around them. If you regularly ask people to repeat themselves, struggle to follow conversations, or notice changes in your vision, make note of what’s happening and discuss it with your healthcare provider. Keep corrective lenses and hearing devices up to date and protect your hearing when exposed to loud environments.

2. Take a Closer Look at Your LDL Cholesterol

Most people associate cholesterol with heart health, but LDL cholesterol may also matter for brain health. High LDL cholesterol in midlife has been identified as a potentially modifiable dementia risk factor. Researchers estimate that elevated LDL cholesterol beginning in midlife contributes to a portion of dementia cases at the population level.**

What you can do: Review your most recent cholesterol results rather than simply noting whether your overall numbers were considered normal. Ask your healthcare provider what your LDL level means for your individual health and whether additional monitoring or management is appropriate. If you haven’t had your cholesterol checked recently, ask whether testing is recommended based on your age and health history.

3. Make Head Protection Part of Your Routine

Head injuries can have consequences beyond the immediate recovery period. Traumatic brain injury has been identified as a potentially modifiable dementia risk factor, and researchers continue to study how repeated head trauma affects long-term brain health.**** Protecting your head is especially important during recreational activities, home projects, and situations where falls are possible.

What you can do: Wear an appropriate helmet when biking, skiing, or skating, and use your seatbelt on every trip. At home, secure loose rugs and cords, keep walkways clear, and use stable equipment when working at heights. These precautions may seem routine, but preventing an injury is an important part of protecting your long-term health.

4. Look Beyond the Number of Hours You Sleep

Getting enough sleep matters, but sleep quality deserves attention, too. Research has found associations between certain sleep disorders—including sleep apnea, insomnia, and disruptions to normal sleep-wake patterns—and an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease. Researchers are still studying these connections, and an association does not mean that a sleep disorder will cause Alzheimer’s disease.****

What you can do: Pay attention to how you feel after sleeping, not just how many hours you spent in bed. Frequent loud snoring, waking up gasping for air, persistent daytime sleepiness, or regularly feeling unrested may be signs worth discussing with a healthcare provider.***** If symptoms occur repeatedly, keep a brief record of what you’re experiencing and how often. Specific examples can help make the conversation with your provider more productive.

5. Recognize Changes That Go Beyond Forgetfulness

Occasionally forgetting a name or misplacing your keys doesn’t necessarily indicate a serious problem. More concerning cognitive changes often involve difficulties with familiar activities or everyday responsibilities. Potential warning signs include repeatedly asking the same questions, struggling to manage bills, getting lost in familiar places, difficulty following familiar tasks, changes in judgment, or increasing trouble finding words.******

What you can do: If you notice concerning changes in yourself or someone close to you, write down specific examples, when they occurred, and whether they are becoming more frequent. Rather than assuming these changes are simply part of aging—or that they indicate Alzheimer’s—share your concerns with a healthcare professional. Cognitive changes can have several causes, and an evaluation can help identify what may be happening.

Make Brain Health Part of Your Everyday Routine

You don’t need to wait until memory problems appear to pay attention to brain health. Some of the factors associated with cognitive decline are connected to health concerns and safety habits you can address throughout adulthood.

This November, choose one area to follow up on. Review your cholesterol results, schedule an overdue hearing or vision appointment, address a fall hazard at home, or speak with your healthcare provider about ongoing sleep concerns.

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