- McCance Brain Care Score (BCS) is developed with practitioner and patient input.
- UK Biobank data shows a five-point BCS increase drastically lowers dementia and stroke risks, especially in younger individuals.
- The BCS is a practical, healthcare tool for ongoing brain health improvement, emphasizing incremental lifestyle adjustments.
McCance Brain Care Score
The McCance Brain Care Score (BCS) is a 21-point tool developed to reduce the risks of dementia and stroke through lifestyle changes. Created with input from practitioners and patients via a modified Delphi process. It encompasses three key areas:
- Physical (blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.)
- Lifestyle (diet, exercise, sleep)
- Social Emotional (stress management, social relationships)
This scoring system is designed for use in healthcare settings. The brain care score assists individuals and their healthcare providers in identifying and making incremental improvements to sustain and improve brain health over time.
Researchers used data from the United Kingdom Biobank to evaluate the Brain Care Score’s (BCS) effectiveness in predicting incident dementia and stroke. They found significant associations between the BCS and reduced risks of dementia and stroke among the 398,990 participants. A five-point increase in Brain Care Score correlated with a significantly lower risk of dementia, especially notable in younger participants (59% reduction in those under 50 years). Similarly, a higher Brain Care Score was linked to a reduced risk of stroke. The effect is more pronounced in younger age groups.
References
- Singh, Sanjula D., Tin Oreskovic, Sinclair Carr, Keren Papier, Megan Conroy, Jasper R. Senff, Zeina Chemali, et al. 2023. “The Predictive Validity of a Brain Care Score for Dementia and Stroke: Data from the UK Biobank Cohort.” Frontiers in Neurology 14. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1291020.
- McCance Center for Brain Health Brain Care Score.” n.d. Massachusetts General Hospital. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/mccance-center/clinic/brain-care-score
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