A Practical Tool for Brain Health: The Brain Care Score

We often hear that the choices we make today can influence our health as we age. But which choices matter, and how can we keep track of them?

The Brain Care Score offers one practical way to think about brain health. Developed by the Global Brain Care Coalition, it brings together physical health, lifestyle, and social and emotional well-being in a single assessment.

Its goal is to help people identify areas they may be able to improve—not to predict their future with certainty.

What Is the Brain Care Score?

The Brain Care Score is an assessment designed to help people evaluate factors associated with the health of the brain. It considers 12 items across three broad areas:

• Physical health: blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and body mass index.
• Lifestyle: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, smoking, and alcohol consumption.
• Social and emotional well-being: stress management, social relationships, and purpose in life.

Together, the assessment produces a score out of 21 points. The score is intended to help people identify opportunities to improve their overall brain health.

For the exact questionnaire wording, response options, and point allocations, consult the official Brain Care Score assessment. The categories above are a plain-language overview, not a substitute for the scoring instructions.

Why Include These Factors?

The brain doesn't operate in isolation from the rest of the body.

High blood pressure, diabetes, and unhealthy cholesterol levels can affect blood vessels and are relevant to cardiovascular and brain health. Physical activity, nutrition, sleep, smoking, and alcohol use can also influence health in different ways.

Social connection, stress, and a sense of purpose matter too. These factors are part of a broader picture of well-being, although the evidence linking each individual factor to dementia risk is not equally strong.

The value of the Brain Care Score is that it encourages people to look beyond a single measurement or supplement and consider several parts of their lives together.

Why Sleep Deserves Attention

Sleep is included in the Brain Care Score because it is an important part of overall health.

Persistent sleep problems can affect daytime functioning and cognitive performance. Sleep apnea, in particular, deserves attention because it disrupts breathing and fragments sleep and has been associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.

However, we should distinguish an association from proof of cause and effect. Researchers have not established that simply sleeping longer—or improving sleep by itself—will prevent dementia.

Persistent insomnia, suspected sleep apnea, substantial daytime sleepiness, or significant changes in sleep patterns are worth discussing with a healthcare professional.

What Does a Higher Score Mean?

A higher score generally reflects a more favorable profile across the factors measured. It does not mean that someone is guaranteed to avoid dementia, stroke, or depression.

Likewise, a lower score does not mean that these conditions are inevitable. Some factors are easier to change than others, and health outcomes depend on many influences, including age, genetics, medical history, and circumstances beyond an individual's control.

The score is best understood as a starting point for reflection and, where appropriate, a conversation with a healthcare professional.

How to Put the Idea Into Practice

You don't have to overhaul your life overnight. Start by identifying one or two areas where a realistic improvement may be possible.

• Know your numbers. Keep up with appropriate checks of blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
• Keep moving. Choose regular physical activity that fits your abilities and circumstances.
• Eat for overall health. Favor a balanced eating pattern rather than relying on a single food or supplement.
• Take sleep problems seriously. Address persistent problems rather than assuming poor sleep is simply part of aging.
• Avoid smoking and be thoughtful about alcohol. Seek support if changing these habits is difficult.
• Maintain relationships and purpose. Social connection and meaningful activities can contribute to well-being.

If a score identifies a potential concern, don't change prescribed medication or begin a treatment solely because of the result. Discuss appropriate next steps with a qualified healthcare professional.

The Brain Care Score and Dementia Prevention

The Brain Care Score is not the same as the list of 14 potentially modifiable dementia risk factors discussed by the 2024 Lancet Commission.

The Lancet report estimated that addressing 14 specified risk factors could potentially prevent or delay a substantial proportion of dementia cases at the population level. That estimate does not mean that any individual can eliminate a corresponding percentage of their personal risk.

The two approaches serve different purposes. The Lancet report summarizes evidence about population-level risk factors; the Brain Care Score offers a practical assessment of several aspects of brain health.

Neither can guarantee an outcome, and neither replaces appropriate medical care.