In the next 22 years, 6 million Americans will develop Alzheimer's disease. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was something you could do today to substantially reduce your risk?

There is.

A retrospective study of around 20,000 people found that if you've had a Tdap/Td vaccine against tetanus and diphtheria, with or without pertussis, you're 30% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

In addition, a shingles vaccine reduces your risk of AD by 25% and a pneumonia vaccine reduces the risk by 27%.

That's pretty astounding — and something that confers other far-reaching benefits as well, because pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (pertussis) can be life-threatening, and shingles is an agonizing condition.

Why do these seemingly unconnected infections influence your risk for Alzheimer’s?

It seems the inflammation of brain neurons that viral, bacterial, or fungal infections cause can worsen neurodegeneration, leading to dementia.

There are other effective ways to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s:

• Exercising regularly in your midlife can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 45%.

• Doing speed of processing games for just 18 hours over a 10-year period and social interaction build cognitive reserve.

• Avoiding red meats, highly processed foods, and added sugars reduces inflammation and the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease — all risk factors for Alzheimer’s.

• Enjoying coffee, olive oil, and nuts, smelling the roses, and taking care of eye and hearing problems also greatly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.

For even more information on the 40 choices you can make to protect your brain health, visit LongevityPlaybook.com.