Think Thursday: Alzheimer’s Prevention and What the Latest Research Tells Us — Alcohol Minimalist: Mindful Drinking & Behavior Change

World Alzheimer’s Day is a good reminder that the story around Alzheimer’s disease is changing.

In this Think Thursday episode, Molly looks at what we know now about earlier diagnosis, blood-based biomarkers, newer treatments that can slow disease progression for some people, and the growing evidence that lifestyle factors may influence dementia risk.

In this episode:

How Alzheimer’s blood tests are changing diagnosis
Why earlier detection matters more than ever
What new Alzheimer’s medications can — and cannot — do
The 14 potentially modifiable dementia risk factors identified by the Lancet Commission
Why cardiovascular and metabolic health are also brain health
What the U.S. POINTER and LatAm-FINGERS studies suggest about lifestyle and cognition
Practical ways to support long-term brain health
When changes in memory or thinking deserve medical attention

The biggest takeaway: there may not be one single thing that protects the brain. Increasingly, the research points to the power of a pattern — movement, cardiovascular health, hearing and vision care, social connection, continued learning, sleep, and staying engaged with life.

Alzheimer’s is still a complex and devastating disease, but the science is giving us more reason for hope — and more opportunities to influence the health of the brain we have right now.

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