During Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month this June, the Alzheimer’s Association is calling on people across Oklahoma to take charge of their brain health and learn how healthy habits and early detection can make a meaningful difference.
In Oklahoma, 70,500 people are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and 135,000 family members and friends provide unpaid care. As the population ages, those numbers are expected to grow, underscoring the importance of brain health education and early detection in local communities.
Despite growing awareness of Alzheimer’s, a significant gap remains between understanding that brain health matters and knowing how to protect it. According to the 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, nearly 9 in 10 Americans say brain health is important, yet only 1 in 10 say they know what to do to maintain it.
“Here in Oklahoma, we see firsthand how empowering people with the right information can change lives,” said Sandi Pellow, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association of Oklahoma. “Practical, everyday steps — like staying physically active, eating a healthy diet and challenging your mind — can help support brain health at any age.”
Growing evidence shows that adopting healthy habits may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. One major global analysis estimates that nearly half of all dementia cases worldwide could be attributed to modifiable risk factors.
The Alzheimer’s Association leads and funds groundbreaking research on the impact of healthy habits, including the landmark U.S. POINTER lifestyle intervention study, which found that combining multiple healthy habits — physical activity, a healthy diet, social and cognitive engagement, and regular health monitoring — can help protect and improve cognitive function, including memory and thinking.
Early detection matters
Early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is more important than ever. Only about half of people living with Alzheimer’s ever receive a diagnosis, delaying access to care and potentially putting individuals at greater risk. Detecting Alzheimer’s or another dementia early offers significant benefits for individuals and their families, including greater access to treatment options and more time to plan for the future.
Early diagnosis also improves access to treatment. Therapies are now available that can slow disease progression for people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, underscoring the importance of timely diagnosis. More than 150 additional treatments are advancing through the research pipeline, supported in part by Alzheimer’s Association funding initiatives such as Part the Cloud, which helps accelerate promising approaches to treating the disease.
How Oklahoma residents can get involved during Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month
• Take the (re)think your brain™ 6Step Challenge, a step-by-step guide to help you take charge of your brain health. Sign up today at rethinkyourbrain. org.
• Donate: Support efforts to empower people at every age to take charge of their brain health at alz.org/donate.
• Go purple: Throughout the month of June, go purple — the color of the Alzheimer’s movement — to raise awareness of the disease. Dress in purple and share your story on social media using the hashtag #ENDALZ.
• Join a local fundraising event: Advance Alzheimer’s care, support and research by participating in Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Do What You Love to End ALZ™ or Ride to End ALZ. Learn more at alz.org/fundraisingevents. Connect with others: Join free live learning webinars on brain health, dementia and caregiving atalz.org/livelearning.
Volunteer: Help your community recognize the signs of Alzheimer’s and reduce dementia risk.
Visit alz.org/volunteer.
• Advocate: Urge your member of Congress to support the bipartisan ASAP Act and help make early detection standard care. Visit alzimpact.org/ASAP_Act.
• Accelerate research: Use Alzheimer’s Association Trial-Match, a free service connecting individuals living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, caregivers and healthy participants with current research studies, at alz.org/trialmatch.
All of the programs and services of the Alzheimer’s Association are provided at no charge. Go to alz.org to learn more or call the Association’s free Helpline, staffed 24/7 by trained professionals, at 800272-3900.