Can Dementia Be Prevented by Promoting Brain Health?

In this video, PA Jordan Mast steps back from Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics to focus on brain health and dementia risk reduction. He discusses why addressing stigma matters when counseling patients and reviews modifiable risk factors that can be targeted before symptom onset—reinforcing the concept that what supports cardiovascular health also supports cognitive health.

PA Mast outlines practical, evidence-informed strategies PAs can incorporate into routine care, including cardiovascular care and glycemic control, physical activity, nutrition, sleep optimization, stress and depression screening, medication review, and cognitive and social engagement. The video emphasizes empathetic, patient-centered conversations and multidisciplinary support to help patients make sustainable lifestyle changes that promote lifelong brain health.

Key Takeaways:

What’s good for the heart is good for the brain.
Encourage patients to make lifestyle improvements as needed, including nutrition, physical activity, stress management, sleep, and cognitive and social engagement.
Support medication management, mental health, cardiovascular health, and glycemic control during routine care.

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Speaker

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Jordan Mast, MMS, PA-C

References and Additional Resources:

Saeed A, Lopez O, Cohen A, Reis SE. Cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease: the heart–brain axis. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(21):e030780. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37929715/

Yau WYW, Kirn DR, Rabin JS, et al. Physical activity as a modifiable risk factor in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Nat Med. 2025;31:4075-4083. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41184638/

Walk. Run. Dance. Play. What’s your move? Health.gov. Accessed March 16, 2026. https://odphp.health.gov/moveyourway#older-adults

Stefaniak O, Dobrzyńska M, Drzymała-Czyż S, Przysławski J. Diet in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease: current knowledge and future research requirements. Nutrients. 2022;14:4564 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26086182/

Morris MC, Tangney CC, Wang Y, et al. MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging. Alzheimers Dement. 2015;11:1015-1022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26086182/

Iñesta C, Bonete-López B, Oltra-Cucarella J, et al. Does engagement in cognitive activities contribute to the preservation of brain structure and connectivity in older adults? J Neurol Sci. 2025;477:123658. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022510X25002783

Samtani S, Mahalingam G, Lam BCP, et al; SHARED consortium for the Cohort Studies of Memory in an International Consortium (COSMIC). Associations between social connections and cognition: a global collaborative individual participant data meta-analysis. Lancet Healthy Longev. 2022;3(11):e740-e753. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9750173/

Matison AP, Samtani S, Brodaty H, Sachdev PS, Reppermund S. How well do social frailty indices predict incident dementia in older adults? J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2025 Sep 25;80(10):gbaf148. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12460892/

Itani M, Doumat G, Abdouni L, et al. Is total polypharmacy or same-class polypharmacy a risk factor for dementia? A case-control study. Aging Medicine and Healthcare. 2025;16:146-153. https://www.agingmedhealthc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/amh-2023-10-110-In-Press_R2.pdf

Eghrari NB, Yazji IH, Yavari B, Van Acker GM, Kim CH. Risk of dementia following gabapentin prescription in chronic low back pain patients. Reg Anesth Pain Med. Published online July 10, 2025. doi:10.1136/rapm-2025-106577. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40639955/

Abrego-Guandique DM, Nucera S, Ilari S, et al. The association between long-term opioid use and dementia risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2026;144:111595. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41453485/

de Godoi Rezende Costa Molino C, Baumann K, Gaengler S, et al. Polypharmacy and mild cognitive impairment in older adults: a 3-year study of DO-HEALTH. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2025;26:105586. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40199365/

Safiri S, Ghaffari Jolfayi A, Fazlollahi A, et al. Alzheimer’s disease: a comprehensive review of epidemiology, risk factors, symptoms diagnosis, management, caregiving, advanced treatments and associated challenges. Front Med (Lausanne). 2024;11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39736972/

Alzheimer’s Association. Depression and Cognitive Decline. Public Health Center of Excellence, Dementia Risk Reduction. Accessed February 10, 2026. https://www.alz.org/professionals/public-health/public-health-topics/risk-reduction

Clarke KM, Etemadmoghadam S, Danner B, et al. The Nun Study: Insights from 30 years of aging and dementia research. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Feb;21(2):e14626. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11852352/

Supported by

Jordan Mast, MMS, PA-C

Jordan Mast is a board-certified physician associate (PA) with a focus on general neurology at the Colorado Neurological Clinic in Denver, CO. He attended Midwestern University and has over 13 years of experience practicing as a PA in neurology. Jordan Mast has a special interest in providing education to other healthcare providers, patients, and industry professionals regarding best practices in management of neurological conditions and often serves as a speaker and consultant for medical education. Throughout his career, he has participated in several phase 2-4 clinical trials across a range of neurological conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke. With his involvement in clinical research, he has developed a strong passion for recognizing and treating Alzheimer’s disease. His family history of Alzheimer’s disease has helped develop this passion in treating patients and providing much needed care to the family members who are also affected.