Happy Friday!
November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and research points to the everyday habits that have a positive impact: staying active, keeping blood pressure in check, protecting your hearing, and staying social all make the list.
If life feels busy lately, consider this your sign to take a short walking break, book your doctor’s appointments, schedule a hearing test, or call a friend. Your brain will thank you.
Today’s headlines:
The sign to watch out for in higher-risk adults
Pass the salt, please…but what kind?
Your heart is not equal parts
See the good. Be the good.
What’s your go-to brain workout?
SPOTLIGHT
This specific type of cognitive decline might be linked to higher dementia risk in frail adults
If you’re already physically frail, changes in memory might be a bigger early warning sign for dementia than slower thinking, according to a new study in Communications Medicine.
What researchers found
Researchers followed more than 7,000 adults for nearly a decade, focusing primarily on thinking patterns among those with “cognitive frailty.”
Researchers then grouped the participants’ together by cognitive symptom, comparing their scores to those among participants without cognitive frailty to analyze dementia risk.
In frail adults, memory changes may be a bigger early warning sign for dementia than slower thinking.
Certain thinking problems affected dementia risk more:
Memory problems only: about twice the odds of dementia.
Memory problems plus difficulty with mental speed and executive function: nearly tripled the odds of developing dementia.
Why this matters: Among physically frail adults, memory difficulties increase the odds of developing dementia later in life. This doesn’t necessarily mean that “slower thinking” is harmless, but it’s something to pay attention to rather than a warning sign.
The takeaway: Frailty affects overall well-being in many ways, and staying physically strong can help protect your vitality. Here are simple ways to maintain strength as you age:
Strength train two or three times a week with weights, bands, or bodyweight.
Add protein to every meal to help hold onto muscle.
Practice balance and try to stand on one foot.
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WELLNESS WATCH
Pass the (potassium) salt please
Using potassium salt might be one of the easiest heart-health upgrades to make in your kitchen, according to a study published in Nature Health.
What researchers found
When researchers at The George Institute for Global Health modeled the longevity benefits of switching from regular table salt (sodium chloride) to potassium-enriched salt. Across 193 countries, researchers estimated that this salt switch could prevent 1.85 million heart- and kidney disease-related deaths a year!
Switching to potassium-enriched salt could prevent an estimated 1.85 million heart and kidney-related deaths a year.
Potassium salt replaces some of the sodium chloride in regular salt with potassium chloride. It cooks like regular salt, and with its potential benefits, the World Health Organization recommended it in 2025.
Why it matters: Too much sodium and too little potassium can both increase blood pressure, which is a major driver of stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease. Since this increases potassium (which might affect patients with kidney disease or diabetes), always consult with your nutritionist or doctor.
Shopping tip: Most labels won’t say “Potassium-enriched salt,” so look for labels that say “Lite” salt at your next grocery visit.
Join us at the Livelong Women’s Health Summit in San Francisco, March 5–6, 2027, for two full days of expert talks on women’s health, longevity, and aging well.
IN OTHER NEWS
The “hotspots” of your heart that might age faster than others
You might think the heart gets older, and that’s that. However, a new study in mice found that age-related inflammation (or inflammaging) clusters in the heart in a few key “hotspots.”
The valves: The strongest patterns linked to inflammation and tissue scarring clustered in the heart valves and nearby aorta — rather than evenly spread throughout the heart muscles.
By sex: Male and female hearts showed different aging patterns, but there seems to be a stronger tissue-scarring-related impact in males.
This is directional data about where aging is concentrated in the heart, but it needs further follow-up in human studies.
The takeaway: You can’t stop aging, but small steps can reduce excess strain on your heart:
Know your numbers: Understand your body’s data, specifically blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, since both can affect heart valves over time.
Be more active. Regular exercise can help calm chronic inflammation.
Sleep well. Seven to nine hours a night gives your heart and blood vessels time to recover.
SHORT LONGEVITY HITS
Detangling baldness: An experimental electric comb aims to cure baldness. How does it work?
Smiling to misery: When forced to smile repeatedly, the happiness benefits may disappear, based on new research.
Diagnostic lollipops: Could a lollipop-inspired medical testing device change diagnostic testing?
LONG-LEVITY
Pennsylvania police issue ‘Kindness Citations’
I’m a proud Pennsylvanian this week. Police officers in Hanover, Pennsylvania, are issuing ‘Kindness Citations’* to upstanding members of the community whose actions exemplify gratitude, patience, forgiveness, and more.
This initiative is part of Kindness Week Worldwide (Nov. 7- 14). It’s a small way to recognize and encourage goodness, though it might provide valuable public health benefits.
Studies link kindness to stronger relationships, stress buffering, and increased brain activity related to memory and emotional regulation.
What’s more, social support increases a sense of purpose, physical functioning, and other markers linked to outsized longevity.
I hope this reminds us all to practice and acknowledge a little kindness in our lives. And consider participating yourself:
Bring a neighbor a healthy meal.
Spontaneously write someone a thank-you.
Offer to help with an errand.
*Of course, police will also continue their normal duties. Nevertheless, this is a lovely addendum :)
NEW AT LIVELONG
Join us for one of our upcoming Studio Session virtual events
THURS, NOV 19 · 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT
The Female Longevity Advantage: Why Women Outlive Men
with Dr. Amy Killen
What we’re enjoying:
This is the ideal amount of time to nap for better health.
How much exercise counters the effects of sitting?
READER RESPONSE
Highlighting your responses to last week's issue, a B12 supplement might not protect your heart as much as you think. We asked:
What’s your go-to afternoon pick-me-up?
For most readers, the best pick-me-up is a quick power nap, especially if you need a recharge without the caffeine buzz, feel too tired to exercise, or want to sync with your grandbabies nap schedule. Just try to keep your nap under 30-minutes for optimal energy, alertness, and memory!
JOIN THE CIRCLE
Keep the conversation going with women who get it
The Livelong Women’s Circle is our free online community for women who care about longevity, health, and aging well. Join live Studio Sessions, swap tips with other members, and bring your questions about anything you read here.
Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend.
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The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
