Heart health, physical activity, freedom from chronic illness and a strong social support system may all help maintain mental sharpness and emotional well-being as we age, according to a report appearing in the current issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. The report was prepared by an expert panel appointed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to assess current scientific knowledge about brain health and to identify promising areas for further research. The long-term goal is to chart a national cognitive and emotional health agenda that shifts the goal of aging from “survival” to “success.”

“Brain health plays a key role in determining quality of life as we age,” says William H. Thies, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association vice president, medical and scientific relations. “It’s extremely exciting to see the NIH make this effort to shift emphasis from understanding disease to supporting the best possible cognitive and emotional function.”

To assess current knowledge, the expert panel focused on 36 ongoing studies enrolling at least 500 participants who were chiefly age 65 and older. All studies evaluated both cognitive health (such abilities as memory, abstract thought, language and the capacity to plan and focus attention) and emotional health (sense of competence, capacity to control and use emotions constructively, and ability to cope with stress).

The panel identified more than 40 factors that may influence cognitive and emotional health in older people. Some of the most consistent findings linked high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and excess weight to an increased risk of cognitive decline. Protective factors included higher levels of education, higher socioeconomic status, a strong emotional support network, better lung capacity and more physical exercise. According to the panel, the evidence suggests that combinations of factors may be more beneficial over time than any single factor.

The report includes recommendations to advance the brain health research agenda, including:

• Analyze data from large ongoing trials looking at other health outcomes to determine whether results can yield insights about cognitive and emotional health

• Establish an NIH support structure to help researchers develop strategies to include cognitive and emotional outcomes in studies

• Develop a standardized questionnaire to measure cognitive and emotional health for use in current and future studies