ONE in ten Welsh adults feel their brain health has declined since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Alzheimer's Research UK warn.

Two thirds of those asked said the pandemic had prompted them to think about making changes to improve their mental health.

The news comes as the charity launches Think Brain Health, a new awareness campaign to keep brains healthy throughout life, and reduce the risk of dementia.

The campaign was developed with the support of Warburtons and parkrun and is further backed at launch by Alzheimer’s Research UK partner Garmin.

Alzheimer’s Research UK has also worked with the Royal Society for Public Health to launch a joint policy report on brain health, recommending the development of a national brain health strategy to enable everyone to take positive steps to look after their brains throughout life.

The report calls on government and public health bodies to take this opportunity to embed brain health messaging across the life course, implement cost-effective interventions that promote brain health and fund more research into dementia prevention.

Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Think Brain Health campaign aims to increase awareness of three rules for improving brain health:

  • Looking after heart health, by exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet and keeping blood pressure, weight and cholesterol in check.
  • Staying sharp, by taking part in activities that keep the brain active.
  • And keeping connected, by staying socially active and connecting with other people.

Visitors to to the campaign page can test their brain health knowledge with a quiz, as well as learning more through expert blogs and articles. The campaign is primarily aimed at people in midlife, who could stand to gain the most from adopting healthy habits that could reduce their risk of dementia.

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Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll in many ways, and it’s deeply worrying that one in ten of us fear it’s had a negative effect on our brain health.

"But positively, our polling shows that the pandemic has also made people more aware of their health, so we want to take this opportunity to set out some simple steps to help people think about their brain.

"While national lockdown is making many aspects of our lives more difficult, there are still things you can do every day to look after your brain and the Think Brain Health campaign shows you how.

“Our brains control everything we do, from storing precious memories to helping us read and write – they define who we are. Sadly, every year, more and more families experience the devastation caused when physical diseases like Alzheimer’s take hold of the brain.

“The good news is that while there’s no sure-fire way to prevent dementia, research suggests that 40 per cent of cases could be down to factors that we may be able to influence. We must do all we can to capitalise on this powerful opportunity and ultimately, reduce the number of people who will go on to develop dementia in future.

“There is a clear appetite among the public to improve their health and looking after the brain must become a core part of our approach to good overall health.

"The time is right for a national brain health strategy to enable everyone to keep their brains healthy – and Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Think Brain Health campaign is an important first step.”