A recent study by Mass General Brigham has found that the Brain Care Score (BCS) is a strong predictor of stroke risk among different racial groups in the United States. The research, published in Neurology, examined how the BCS could help prevent strokes, particularly among Black individuals.
The Brain Care Score was developed at the McCance Center for Brain Health and summarizes information from physical, lifestyle, and social-emotional factors such as blood pressure, nutrition, alcohol use, social relationships, and stress. A higher score indicates a lower risk of age-related brain diseases like stroke, dementia, and depression.
Researchers analyzed data from 10,861 participants in the federally funded Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. The group included Black and white adults aged 45 or older who had not experienced a stroke before joining the study. Each participant’s BCS was calculated based on twelve health-related factors.
During a median follow-up period of nearly 16 years, those with higher Brain Care Scores had significantly lower risks of stroke across both racial groups. For every five-point increase in BCS, Black individuals saw their risk reduced by 53%, while white individuals experienced a 25% reduction after accounting for demographic and socioeconomic differences.
"The Brain Care Score integrates physical, lifestyle, and social-emotional factors into one measure of brain health," said Evy M. Reinders, MD, postdoctoral fellow and first author of this study. "Our analyses suggest that improving everyday behaviors could yield particularly large benefits for groups at higher risk of stroke, such as Black adults."
The authors noted that because this was an observational study it cannot prove cause-and-effect but emphasized the importance of addressing behavioral and social factors to reduce disparities in stroke outcomes.
"This is a landmark publication for the Brain Care Score," said Jonathan Rosand, MD, MSc, Director of the Brain Care Labs at Mass General Brigham and Founder of the Global Brain Care Coalition. "Confirming its predictive power in diverse populations is essential if we are to make progress in ensuring that everyone everywhere has an opportunity to protect their brain health."
Funding for this research came from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association; neither organization influenced any part of the study design or reporting.
