Brain health, heart health and African Americans

Your heart works hard. So does your brain. Every heartbeat pumps about one-fifth of your blood to your brain. Your brain cells need the oxygen and nutrients carried by your blood so you can think clearly, speak and remember.

Conditions that damage your heart and blood vessels can interfere with the brain’s vital supply lines. Many risk factors for heart disease and stroke also threaten brain health:   

• High blood pressure
• Being overweight
• High cholesterol
• Lack of exercise
• Diabetes (high blood sugar)

We know that African-Americans have a higher risk for diabetes, high blood pressureand other cardiovascular risk factors. Partner with your doctor to watch for early warning signs of these conditions so you can get them under control.

Brain health, heart health fact sheet

More about brain health

Educational programs about Alzheimer's disease

To register for the following programs call 303.813.1669.

Diabetes and Your Brain

If you have Type II Diabetes, are at risk of developing it, or know someone who lives with diabetes, this session is for you. Learn about the importance of good brain health management for diabetes in an effort to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s-type dementia. Registration required.

Understanding How Black Communities View Dementia

Some black communities accept dementia as a normal part of aging and don't use medical terms to describe the condition. Also, the role of family and community has both positive and negative implications for the person with dementia.

Learn how to address the fears and suspicions of blacks in different communities, and to learn more about specific idioms and their meanings -- "instead of cognitive functioning, we can ask about mind slippage," "not with it", "out of their heads" which are commonly used and the term "old-timers" seemed to equate to senility. Registration required.

Understanding Memory Loss

Learn the difference between normal age-related memory loss associated with other more serious disorders of the brain. Hear about the diagnosis process and medications that are currently available to treat Alzheimer’s disease and helpful resources available in your community. Registration required.

Caregiver Tips and Coping Skills: Communication and Behaviors

The ability to make sense of difficult behaviors can make your job as a caregiver easier and can increase the quality of life and safety for the person with the disease. This class offers successful communication skills for interacting with people with dementia as well as how to assess and respond to those behaviors. Registration required.