Nearly all Michiganders over 50 say keeping their brain healthy as they age is extremely important, according to a new poll.
However, less than half (47%) of middle-aged and older Michigan residents know that daily actions are very important to reduce future dementia risk.
And fewer than half practice at least one of the four important habits that can protect your brain health as you age, every day or almost every day.
The poll results come at a time when research is clearly linking dementia risk to lifestyle factors such as what people eat and drink. amount of sleep, social interaction, and amount of mental and physical activity. How well you’re managing your cholesterol, weight, and hearing loss.
This data comes from the Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging, based at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Health Policy Innovation. Complete voting reports and interactive data dashboards are available.
Adults 50 and older in Michigan were less likely than adults nationwide to believe that lifestyle factors are very important in maintaining brain health. Overall, 70% said yes, compared to 76% of people in the same age group in other states.
The poll also found regional differences within Michigan. People aged 50 and older in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula were less likely to believe that healthy lifestyle behaviors are very important for reducing dementia risk.
Building on initiatives like the Alzheimer’s Association’s 10 Healthy Habits for the Brain, increasing public education about brain health could go a long way in encouraging Michigan’s middle-aged and older adults to develop healthy habits that reduce the risk of cognitive decline. ”
Dr. Scott Roberts, Associate Director of the National Poll on Healthy Aging and Professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health
“At the same time, it is important to educate older adults to be wary of products that are ‘too good to be true’, such as nutritional supplements currently being marketed to maintain brain health,” he said.
Roberts and the rest of the polling team worked with the Alzheimer’s Association to Recent national reports from U.S. brain health organizations. The national survey, which assesses knowledge about brain-protecting activities in people over 40, influenced the organization’s annual update of its influential Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report.
The Michigan-specific poll surveyed people age 50 and older, the target population of the Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging, which is funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. and Michigan Medicine, UM’s academic medical center.
Roberts will discuss the study results at a June 30 webinar hosted by the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Participation is free, but registration is required.
Lifestyle factors important for brain health
The survey listed 15 health and lifestyle factors commonly associated with lower dementia risk and asked respondents to rate how important each factor was in maintaining brain health.
The proportion of older adults who rate each item as very important to their brain health varies widely.
- 80% effective in preventing head injuries
- 71% effective in managing stress, quitting smoking, and treating depression
- 70% helps control blood pressure
- 58% for alcohol restrictions
- 57% to maintain a healthy weight
- 54% Cholesterol management
- 53% help solve hearing loss
The survey also asked Michiganders age 50 and older how often they engage in activities known to help maintain brain function. Percentage of people who say they do these activities every day or almost every day:
- Get 7 or more hours of sleep: 54%
- Do mentally stimulating activities: 48%
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet: 40%
- Do some physical activity every day, such as walking or stretching: 36%
Each of these factors was rated as very important for brain health by 61% to 68% of all respondents.
Dr. Roberts recently presented the findings at a summit of the Michigan Dementia Coalition, a statewide organization that brings together academic, government, nonprofit, caregiver, and patient representatives. Roberts is the core leader for outreach, recruitment and engagement at Alzheimer’s Disease Center of Michigan.
According to the Michigan Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, 11 percent of Michiganders age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Their families and friends provide them with over 680 million hours of unpaid care each year.
Role of medical personnel
It’s important to prevent dementia or delay it as much as possible by making lifestyle changes in middle age and beyond, said study author Jeffrey Kullgren, MD, MS, MPH, associate professor of internal medicine at the UM School of Medicine and primary care physician in the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.
“Health care providers across the state and nation can do more to help patients understand the link between the lifestyle choices they make today and their future brain health,” he said. “Our state’s adult population has many risk factors for dementia, and we need to work together to address them at all ages.”
Most older adults in Michigan said they wanted to learn more about brain health from their health care providers.
But conversations like this aren’t common. Only 23% had discussed this topic with their provider. Thirty percent of Michigan residents age 65 and older have taken a cognitive screening test in the past year to help identify early stages of dementia.
Although universal cognitive screening for everyone over the age of 65 is not recommended by all national agencies, a simple cognitive test can be done as part of a regular health check, especially if someone has concerns about their memory or thinking skills, or if a loved one has expressed concerns.
New prescription drugs aimed at slowing the early decline in cognitive impairment have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in recent years. So are blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers (amyloid, tau, etc.) that can help with diagnosis and early detection.
However, there is no cure for dementia at any stage, so prevention is key.
The Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging included data on 1,293 Michigan adults ages 50 to 93 from the NORC AmeriSpeak Panel and Supplemental Nonprobability Panel participants, who were compared to 2,808 non-Michigan adults ages 50 to 98. The survey was conducted online and by phone in January 2026.
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Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan
