AI MAY HELP US FIND A CURE FOR ALZHEIMER’S I’ve been seeing more and more reports about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming medical diagnosis. It’s now helping detect diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart conditions by analyzing medical images—such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans—and by reviewing biopsy slides, often faster and more accurately than human experts. As someone always on the lookout for the latest research on treating Alzheimer’s disease—especially to share with my fellow seniors—I was intrigued by a July 1, 2025 article in the Harvard Health Letter written by Dr. Anthony L. Komaroff, Editor in Chief,...
LOWER YOUR DEMENTIA RISK—WITH EVEN MINIMUM EXERCISE Every few months, I share updates on the latest dementia research. After all, dementia—most often caused by Alzheimer’s—is one of the most common conditions affecting us older adults. In fact, nearly half of Americans aged 85 and older are living with some form of it. You probably already know that regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of dementia. But now, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found that even minimum exercise can make a significant difference. Here are excerpts from their February 20, 2025, online article—Small Amounts of...
WHICH MATTERS MORE FOR LONGEVITY—OUR GENES OR OUR DAILY CHOICES? In my family—like many, I suspect—we’ve seen our share of health struggles. Two of my grandparents dealt with heart disease. My father had balance problems, and my mother faced both Alzheimer’s and breathing issues. Now, as I grow older, I find myself wondering: will my future health and lifespan be shaped more by the genes I inherited or by the choices I make every day? That question led me to a brief, insightful piece in the Harvard Health Letter (May 1, 2025) by Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief,...
LESS SUGAR, MORE YEARS Most of us already know that too much sugar raises the risk of serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. But now, new research suggests it does more than harm our health—it may actually speed up the aging process at the cellular level, potentially shortening our lifespan. Here’s a quick read from the July 31, 2024, Forbes.com article by Sai Balasubramanian, M.D., J.D., titled A New Study Shows That Sugar Consumption May Be Related to Faster Aging. Refined sugar has become a staple for billions of people globally A new research study by...
BOOST YOUR HAPPINESS—& YOUR LIFESPAN For years, research offered mixed conclusions to whether optimists or pessimists live longer. But in recent studies, a clearer picture is emerging: people with a positive outlook tend to have a lower risk of early death from various conditions, including heart disease and cancer. In short, If you’re happy and you know it, don’t just clap your hands—there’s a good chance you’ll live longer, too. The most recent study I’ve come across was a May 2, 2025, MayoClinic.org article titled Do optimists live longer and better? Here are some key takeaways: Increasing evidence suggests that...
THE LINK BETWEEN DEMENTIA & HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE I recently came across an article noting that treating high blood pressure for just four years can lower the risk of dementia by 15%, based on findings from a clinical trial in rural China. (Despite current tariff/trade tensions with China, scientists continue to trade research worldwide.) Fifteen percent may not seem like much, but anything to help us seniors reduce our dementia risk helps! For more details, take a look at these excerpts from the April 21, 2025, Scientific American online article by Liz Szabo, titled To Reduce Dementia Risk, Treat High...
INTRODUCING THE NEW CHOLESTEROL TEST—APO B Yesterday, I came across a short article in the April/May issue of AARP magazine about a cholesterol test many of us haven’t heard of—Apo B, short for Apolipoprotein B. It’s a simple blood test that offers a more accurate assessment of cholesterol-related risk than traditional tests. That’s promising news for those of us in our senior years, so I decided to dig a little deeper. I found an excellent article on ClevelandClinic.org titled Apo B Test. I’m sharing highlights with you below. What is an Apo B blood test? An Apo B test is...
BUTTER LOVERS ALERT We’ve all heard it: butter might not be the healthiest choice—but maybe it’s not that bad either? A little pat on your toast, a swipe on a dinner roll, a dab for frying an egg, or melting over an ear of corn—seems harmless enough. But where should we draw the line? This week, I came across an article that offers a much clearer stance. Their advice? It’s time to swap out butter for plant oils if we want to boost our long-term health. You can decide for yourself after reading these excerpts from the April 23, 2025,...
HEAVY METAL POISONING A recent report suggests that many of us may unknowingly be brushing our teeth with toothpaste containing toxic heavy metals—including lead. Lead Safe Mama (LSM), an organization committed to preventing childhood lead poisoning through independent testing of consumer products, has revealed that several popular toothpaste and tooth powder brands contain detectable levels of lead, mercury, arsenic, and/or cadmium—all of which are toxic to humans. Among the products tested were well-known brands such as Crest Regular Toothpaste, Sensodyne Extra Whitening Toothpaste, and Tom’s of Maine Kid’s Natural Toothpaste. While none of them exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug...
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS For years, I’ve added a packet of stevia to my morning coffee. I chose stevia as a zero-calorie alternative to traditional processed sugar because it’s derived directly from the leaves of the stevia plant and packaged without any processing or chemical bleaching. However, I’ve often heard that sugar substitutes, including stevia, may not be especially healthy. Curious to find out the truth, I turned to a trusted online source to see whether these artificial sweeteners are indeed safe for you and me. In this post, I share excerpts from a January 10, 2023, Mayo Clinic article titled Artificial...
