A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association makes a compelling case that a healthy lifestyle does an aging brain good.

That might sound obvious. Eat well, exercise, challenge yourself mentally, have an active social life and you’ll be better off for it. Yet researchers are just starting to offer concrete data to support the theory that making conscientious lifestyle changes can lower the risk of dementia, which is estimated to affect some six million Americans.

But the message that people have some agency over their brain health must be paired with another one: They need help. Changing deeply ingrained habits is hard. However, the research suggests that building a supportive community around individuals could significantly improve their chances for success.

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