Summary: A new University of Michigan report exposes a significant public health gap: nearly all Michiganders aged 50 and older say preserving brain health matters a great deal, yet fewer than half (47%) recognize that everyday lifestyle choices can lower their future risk of dementia.
The January 2026 survey gathered responses from 1,293 Michigan adults and a national comparison group. It found that half or fewer respondents regularly follow essential brain-protective habits—such as sufficient sleep, daily physical activity, mentally stimulating tasks, and a balanced diet.
Key Facts
- The intention-knowledge gap: Almost all older Michiganders prioritize brain health, but only 47% know that everyday lifestyle adjustments can directly reduce dementia risk.
- Low uptake of protective behaviors: Just 36% report daily physical activity, 40% follow a balanced diet, 48% do mentally stimulating activities most days, and 54% routinely get seven or more hours of sleep.
- Michigan trails the national average: Seventy percent of Michigan adults 50+ say lifestyle habits are very important for brain health, compared with 76% of peers in other states.
- Missed clinical opportunities: Although most older adults want brain-health guidance from clinicians, only 23% have discussed brain health with a healthcare provider.
- Impact of cognitive decline: About 11% of Michiganders over 65 live with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, supported by more than 680 million hours of unpaid care from family and friends each year.
Source: University of Michigan
Nearly all Michiganders 50 and older rate brain health as very important, but knowledge and action lag.
While the vast majority of Michigan residents aged 50 and older view preserving brain health as essential, fewer than half understand that their daily choices can influence long-term dementia risk. Even when they recognize the importance, many do not translate that belief into regular habits that support cognitive health.
The poll highlights a mismatch between awareness and behavior at a time when scientific evidence increasingly links dementia risk to modifiable lifestyle factors: diet and alcohol intake, sleep quality, social engagement, mental and physical activity, and management of cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and hearing loss.
Conducted as part of the Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, the survey compares Michigan adults aged 50 and over with a national sample. Michigan residents were somewhat less likely than national peers to rate lifestyle behaviors as very important for brain health (70% vs. 76%). Within Michigan, residents of the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula were less likely to consider healthy lifestyle behaviors crucial to lowering dementia risk.
“Stronger public education about brain health—building on evidence-based programs that outline practical habits—could help more middle-aged and older adults adopt routines that reduce cognitive decline risk,” said Scott Roberts, Ph.D., Associate Director of the National Poll on Healthy Aging and a professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Roberts and the poll team collaborated with the Alzheimer’s Association on national data that informed the organization’s Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. The Michigan-specific findings come from adults age 50–93 sampled via the NORC AmeriSpeak panel and supplemental participants; the survey was conducted online and by phone in January 2026.
Which lifestyle factors matter most?
The survey listed 15 health and lifestyle elements linked in research to lower dementia risk and asked respondents to rate their importance. Ratings varied across items:
- Preventing head injury: 80% rated it very important
- Managing stress, avoiding smoking, and treating depression: 71%
- Controlling blood pressure: 70%
- Limiting alcohol: 58%
- Maintaining a healthy weight: 57%
- Managing cholesterol: 54%
- Addressing hearing loss: 53%
The poll also asked how often respondents perform activities associated with maintaining brain function. The shares who said they do these activities daily or most days were:
- Get seven or more hours of sleep: 54%
- Engage in mentally stimulating activities: 48%
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet: 40%
- Get some daily physical activity (walking, stretching, etc.): 36%
Across respondents, these prevention behaviors were rated very important by roughly 61%–68% of participants, indicating appreciation of their value even when regular practice is inconsistent.
The role of healthcare professionals
Jeffrey Kullgren, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., director of the Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging, emphasized the importance of preventive actions: “Lifestyle changes in midlife and earlier can prevent or delay dementia. Healthcare providers could play a much larger role in helping patients connect current choices to future brain health.”
Most older Michiganders said they would like to learn more about brain health from their clinicians, yet only 23% have had that conversation. Among Michigan residents 65 and older, 30% reported having a cognitive screening test in the past year—an assessment that can detect early signs of cognitive impairment and trigger timely follow-up.
Although universal cognitive screening for everyone over 65 is not uniformly recommended, routine cognitive checks can be incorporated into primary care visits when memory concerns arise. New FDA-approved treatments for early-stage cognitive impairment and blood tests for Alzheimer’s biomarkers exist, but there remains no cure for dementia, so prevention and early detection remain priorities.
Key questions answered
Q: Why does a large gap exist between wanting a healthy brain and practicing protective habits?
A: The primary reason is lack of awareness. Fewer than half of older adults understand that routine behaviors shape long-term dementia risk. Many assume cognitive decline is primarily genetic or inevitable, so they don’t intentionally align daily habits—diet, activity, sleep, cardiovascular care—with brain protection.
Q: What role should primary care clinicians play?
A: Primary care clinicians are a critical but underused resource. Routine visits provide an ideal setting to counsel patients on how managing blood pressure, cholesterol, physical activity, and other risk factors can help preserve cognitive function.
Q: Are commercial brain supplements effective?
A: Experts warn skepticism. There is no strong evidence that marketed nutritional supplements prevent cognitive decline. Proven prevention strategies focus on regular physical activity, social engagement, mental stimulation, healthy diet, sleep, and cardiovascular risk management.
Editorial notes
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- The referenced journal paper was reviewed in full.
- Additional context was added by staff.
About this research
Author: Kara Gavin
Source: University of Michigan
Contact: Kara Gavin – University of Michigan
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News