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Family Files

Mild Cognitive Impairment

Recently a woman in one of my programs asked me about a diagnosis that her husband had received - Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).  According to the Alzheimer's Association website, MCI "causes cognitive changes that are serious enough to be noticed by the individuals experiencing them or to other people, but the changes are not severe enough to interfere with daily life or independent function." 

People with MCI do have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's (or other types of dementia) but not all people get worse and some actually get better.  Doctors are not yet able to tell what the outcome of MCI will be or what the underlying cause is. 

The risk factors are the same as those for dementia:  getting older, family history of dementia, and risk of cardiovascular disease.  Some studies suggest that the following strategies may help slow the decline of thinking skills:

  • Exercise
  • Control cardiovascular risk factors
  • Participate in mentally stimulating and socially engaging activities

For more information, click here.