Post on 18-Jan-2016
The Brain! Our Most
Important Organ
Healthy Churches 2020 ConferenceCharlotte, NCWednesday, November 4, 2015
Charlotte S. Yeh, MDChief Medical Officer, AARP Services, Inc.
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BRAIN 101
Weighs only about 3 lbs., but…
▪ Uses 20 – 30% of your calories▪ Uses 20% of your oxygen▪ Uses 25% of your blood flow
and…
Is 85% WATER!!!
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Image: lifehacker.com
BRAIN 101YOUR BRAIN HAS:
▪ 100 billion neurons▪ More synapses than there are
stars in the Milky Way▪ Trillions of glia
BUT…
IF YOU DON’T TAKE CARE OF YOUR BRAIN, YOU LOSE ON AVERAGE
85,000 BRAIN CELLS A DAY!!
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Image: imgarcade.com
Aging and Wisdom
“There is a wisdom of the head, and... a
wisdom of the heart.”
~Charles Dickens
“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.”
~William James
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2015 Brain Health Survey
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2015 Brain Health Survey
73% 72%
84%
72%
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2015 Brain Health SurveyNearly all adults (98%) feel it is
important to maintain or improve brain health.
68% of 40+ adults say they know someone who has, or had,
Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.
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Alzheimer’s Disease
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The Sobering Statistics on Alzheimer’s
Source: 2015 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts & Figures, Alzheimer’s Association
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Caregiver Impact▪About 40 million people are caregivers - AND
unpaid (worth $470 BILLION)• 1 out of 5 workers age 50+ is a caregiver• 32% of family caregivers provide at least 21 hours of care
a week, average 62.2 hours• Those who care for family members with dementia
average 171 hours per week
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Health Outcomes
Image: Blue Cross/Blue Shield Massachusetts Foundation
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Your Brain Needs Exercise!
If we want to “shape” our brains for health, we have to EXERCISE them!!
Image: Thinkstock
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The Many Faces of Creative Expression…as we age
Learn MoreManage Stress
Stay Social
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“To disrupt aging, we need to own our age.”- AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins
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Links Between Purpose in Life and Health
Courtesy of Eric S. Kim Harvard TH Chan
School of Public Health
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Possible Psychological Mechanism
“Those who have a why to live, can bear almost any
how”
-Viktor Frankl
Courtesy of Eric S. Kim Harvard TH Chan
School of Public Health
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Alzheimer’s And Dementia
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
▪ We CAN lower our risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia with LIFESTYLE changes.
▪ Dementia is NOT a natural part of aging.▪ Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s usually results in a better care plan.▪ It’s possible to live well with dementia.
Best Tips for Brain Health:
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Closing
This is your brain, on VITALITY. Imagine the possibilities…
Image: iStock
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