1. The Brain! Our Most Important Organ Healthy Churches 2020 Conference Charlotte, NC Wednesday, November 4, 2015 Charlotte S. Yeh, MD Chief Medical Officer, AARP Services, Inc.

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3. 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!!! 3 Image: lifehacker.com

4. BRAIN 101 YOUR 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!! 4 Image: imgarcade.com

5. 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 5

6. 6 2015 Brain Health Survey

7. 7 73% 72% 84% 72%

8. 8 2015 Brain Health Survey Nearly 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.

9. 9 Alzheimer’s Disease

10. 10 The Sobering Statistics on Alzheimer’s Source: 2015 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts & Figures, Alzheimer’s Association

11. 11 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

12. 12 Health Outcomes Image: Blue Cross/Blue Shield Massachusetts Foundation

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14. Your Brain Needs Exercise! If we want to “shape” our brains for health, we have to EXERCISE them!! Image: Thinkstock 14

15. The Many Faces of Creative Expression …as we age Learn More Manage Stress Stay Social 15

16. “To disrupt aging, we need to own our age.” - AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins 16

17. 17 Links Between Purpose in Life and Health Courtesy of Eric S. Kim Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health

18. 18 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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20. 20 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.

21. Best Tips for Brain Health: 21

22. Closing This is your brain, on VITALITY. Imagine the possibilities… Image: iStock 22

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24. Questions? Charlotte S. Yeh Cyeh@aarp.org 24