Forgetting names and losing keys may signal something other than dementia

Everyday memory lapses, like misplaced keys or forgotten names, are often overinterpreted as early signs of dementia, but neuroscience experts say actual early cognitive changes may be reversible if addressed promptly.

Dr. Tommy Wood, a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington, said minor forgetfulness is often caused by fatigue or stress rather than the beginnings of a neurodegenerative disease.

"For most people, it's just because you're stressed or you're tired and weren't paying attention," Wood told Fox News Digital at Strong New York, the city's largest annual fitness and wellness festival.

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"If you want to remember something ... you need to actually be focused, be paying attention. You need to tell your brain it's important to remember it."

Wood said memory formation works in three stages: encoding (forming a memory), consolidation (storing it) and retrieval (accessing it).

When someone is stressed or sleep-deprived, the issue is typically retrieval, he said — the memory exists in the brain, but the individual struggles to access it in the moment.

In contrast, people experiencing a neurodegenerative disease often fail to encode the memory in the first place.

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"They don't even remember or notice that there's something going on," Wood said. "If you're noticing something's not quite right, that's usually a good sign."

Dementia is clinically defined as the loss of cognitive function that's severe enough to impair an individual's ability to manage daily life independently. Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia account for 70% to 90% of cases, with many individuals showing signs of both.

Research indicates that at least 50% of dementia cases can be prevented by modifying lifestyle and health risk factors.

Key preventable risk factors include heart and metabolic health problems, as well as hearing and vision loss.

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Wood emphasized that addressing physical health issues — such as obtaining hearing aids or undergoing cataract surgery — directly lessens cognitive decline risk.

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"If you expect decline, you won't do the things that will prevent decline from happening," Wood told Fox News Digital. "Believing that it's possible means you'll actually engage in these processes, and then through that, you can prevent a lot of this decline."

Wood's focus on reversible causes of cognitive symptoms aligns with guidance from Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, which note that several treatable medical conditions can mimic early dementia symptoms or contribute to subjective cognitive decline.

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Common reversible causes include the following.

Cleveland Clinic highlights that early clinical intervention is critical when individuals notice changes in "brain fog" or executive function.

"How your brain functions on a day-to-day basis is kind of the output of everything your brain is dealing with," said Wood. "But if you start to notice something, there's still time to make some changes if you need to."

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81-year-old refuses to stop working as wife battles cancer, then strangers try to help

An encounter with an elderly delivery driver in Texas has captured attention after the reason he was still working came to light.

Donald Johnson, 81, was delivering lost luggage to a home when Erin Howell, a resident at The Colony, saw him struggling to carry a heavy bag up a steep set of stairs — a moment captured by her doorbell camera, according to reports.

Howell went outside to help and learned that Johnson had been making luggage deliveries as an independent contractor for the past three years to help cover medical expenses for his wife, Josephine Johnson, who is battling cancer, FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth reported.

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The couple has been married for 57 years. Donald Johnson continued to work during his wife's medical treatment.

He was continuing to make deliveries because he had struggled to find other work, he told Howell during their encounter. 

"It's the only job that will hire me," Johnson told her, according to the outlet.

Howell shared the elderly man's story online and even started a fundraiser to help with medical expenses and give him the chance to stop working and care for his wife.

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As his story spread, thousands of strangers responded with donations and messages of support.

"I think I'm going to be able to stop working, and that's amazing," Johnson told FOX 4. "So we're not quite totally over the hump yet, but we're getting there very quickly."

The outpouring of support and prayers had given her encouragement as she continued her cancer battle, Josephine Johnson told FOX 4.

"I can face it. I think that's the big difference," she said. "Some have made comments and they're praying for us. And it's just — it's a joyful feeling."

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The family's circumstances, however, took another turn after the fundraiser was eventually removed from GoFundMe.

In a recent TikTok video, the couple's daughter, Amy Johnson, said the campaign had collected more than $700,000 — but that her parents would not receive the money because the donations were being refunded due to "a technicality."

Sitting alongside her parents in the TikTok, the daughter said the money that was raised was intended to help cover her mother's medical expenses as she battles pancreatic cancer and would also give her 81-year-old father the opportunity to stop working.

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GoFundMe told FOX 4, however, that its trust and safety team determined the organizer account and fundraiser violated its terms of service. The company did not specify the exact reason for the decision.

It said its policies require "authenticity and transparency for donors."

Fox News Digital reached out to Amy Johnson as well as GoFundMe for further comment and details.

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One simple lifestyle choice could help you live longer, says longevity expert

The most effective strategy for prolonging life might be at the end of a leash.

Dan Buettner, longevity expert and founder of the organization Blue Zones in Minneapolis, Minnesota, highlighted a growing body of scientific evidence showing that owning a dog is strongly associated with a reduced risk of early death, particularly from cardiovascular disease.

"The best thing you can do to add years to your life may surprise you. Get a dog!" Buettner advised during a recent episode of "The Dan Buettner Podcast." "Research shows that dog owners live longer, suffer fewer heart attacks and experience less loneliness. Why? Because a dog forces you to walk every day, gives you a purpose and provides unconditional love."

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Dog ownership is associated with a 24% reduction in all-cause mortality for the general population compared to non-owners, according to research published by the American Heart Association in its journal Circulation.

For individuals who have already suffered a major cardiac event, such as a heart attack or stroke, living with a dog reduced the risk of death by up to 33%.

Epidemiologists and psychologists point to three reasons why canine companions may extend human lifespans.

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Studies published in BMC Public Health indicate that dog owners walk an average of 22 more minutes per day than non-owners, making them significantly more likely to meet standard weekly physical activity guidelines.

Interacting with a pet lowers levels of cortisol — the body’s primary stress hormone —while boosting oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin. A 12-year Swedish study analyzing 3.4 million participants found that dog owners had lower blood pressure and reduced rates of cardiovascular disease.

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The U.S. Surgeon General has declared chronic loneliness a national public health epidemic, comparing its health risks to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Dogs act as natural "social catalysts," fostering community interaction and providing emotional attachment that combats isolation, particularly in single-person households, experts say.

The links between human longevity and caring for a pet aligns with principles found in the "blue zones" — regions of the world with the highest concentration of centenarians.

These key principles include natural daily movement, a strong sense of purpose, stress reduction and deep social connections, according to Buettner.

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By incorporating a dog into a daily routine, owners can incorporate these habits without having to engineer complex health regimens.

"So if you want to live longer," Buettner advised, "go adopt a dog!"

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Scientists reveal surprisingly easy exercise that may boost your mood in just 10 minutes

It might not take an all-out sprint or long trail run to lift your mood and sharpen focus, according to a new study.

A small new study out of the University of Tsukuba in Japan looked at 24 healthy young adults who completed a slow, 10-minute run on the treadmill in one session and rested in another.

After the easy jog, participants performed faster on a test of attention and self-control and reported feeling more alert and pleasant than they did after the resting phase, according to the study, which was published in the journal Imaging Neuroscience in August.

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Brain monitoring after the jog also showed more activity in parts of the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for focus and decision-making.

The jog was purposely kept easy, with participants going at speeds from 1.9 to 3.7 mph on the treadmill. Their average heart rates clocked in at 105 to 107 beats per minute.

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"A single bout of running, even at very slow speed, elicits a pleasant mood and improved executive function," the researchers found.

They added that the finding "sheds light on the slow running benefits to brain health."

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The benefits, they noted, stuck around even after participants' heart rates returned to baseline.

The greater the up-and-down head movement during the jog, the more positive participants' mood was afterward, though that finding was exploratory and does not necessarily prove cause and effect.

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"Easy movement triggers the norepinephrine and dopamine pathways that wake up the part of the brain that is in charge of focus and self-control," explained Dr. John La Puma, a California-based internist and author of "Indoor Epidemic," who was not involved in the study.

Experts agree, however, that it does not mean one brief workout could be a cure-all.

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"A brief jog should help someone get some energy in their system, which may make them feel better about themselves mentally and help them focus," said Dr. Scott Nass, a California-based family medicine physician at SwiftCareMD.

But Nass, who also wasn't involved in the research, said that the effect is likely temporary.

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For people living with depression or anxiety, a jog may briefly clear the mind but is "no substitute for medical care," he told Fox News Digital.

The study was also limited in that it included just 24 healthy, young adults and measured outcomes immediately after just one exercise session. The findings cannot be assumed to apply to older adults, novice runners or people with health conditions and larger studies are needed to confirm the results, Nass said.

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For a practical approach, La Puma suggested taking a 10-minute walk outside before the most mentally demanding part of the day. Add 30-second jogging intervals, keeping the pace easy enough to speak in full sentences without becoming breathless, he said.

People with heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 1 diabetes, recent surgery or joint pain should check with a clinician before starting a new routine, La Puma advised.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the researchers for comment.

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Can faith help patients heal? Veteran doctor reveals what he's witnessed firsthand

Dr. Marc Siegel, physician and Fox News senior medical analyst, explores the intersection of spirituality, clinical treatment and unexplained medical recoveries in his new book, "The Angels Among Us."

Examining how faith, human empathy and modern medicine converge during health crises, the book draws on medical research, historical cases and firsthand clinical experience.

"You don't draw the line between an explanation that's medical or spiritual. They're combined," Siegel told Fox News Digital. "And the more doctors that remember that, the better."

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Siegel cites survey data indicating that 70% of physicians believe in God and 55% report witnessing medical miracles in practice.

In the book, out this November, he expands the definition of "angels" beyond ethereal beings to include doctors, nurses and ordinary people whose timely interventions have led to unexplained recoveries or vital support.

"The messengers are either actual angels from God that come down, that can take human form, that are voices where you don't have a visualization, or they can be humans that God appoints to do angel-like work," Siegel said.

"I started to identify humans who play the role of angels in our lives."

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Among the cases featured in the book are U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Spencer Milo, who received a terminal brain tumor diagnosis after suffering severe trauma in Iraq.

While seeking a second opinion at the University of California, San Francisco, Milo met a Benedictine monk. Subsequent imaging revealed that the tumor was benign.

Milo also credits former President George W. Bush with providing pivotal emotional support during a later personal crisis, identifying both as instrumental to his recovery.

Siegel references his residency training in intensive care units, sharing the story of an ICU patient who remained in a coma for three months following severe brain trauma. Despite receiving a negative prognosis, the patient unexpectedly regained consciousness and eventually returned to work.

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"That embroidered on me the need to not give up — the need to look for explanations beyond just the purely physical," Siegel said. 

"My role is not to decide who lives and who dies. My role is to relieve suffering and prolong life."

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The book also includes personal accounts drawn from Siegel's own family, including his father’s four-year survival on dialysis via a catheter after surviving severe COVID-19 and complex emergency surgery at age 98.

Other cases highlight sudden medical reversals, such as a critically ill ICU patient who reported seeing comforting spiritual figures just before her condition stabilized.

Additionally, the book incorporates historical accounts, including an interview with Dr. David Gens, a lead surgeon who treated President Ronald Reagan following his 1981 assassination attempt. Gens detailed emergency room triage decisions, Secret Service dynamics and Reagan's recovery.

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Siegel also discusses the origins of Alcoholics Anonymous, focusing on co-founder Bill Wilson's spiritual awakening at Towns Hospital in New York and the peer-support model that followed.

Siegel emphasizes that while faith and prayer do not replace clinical care or guarantee survival, spirituality remains a key factor in patient resilience.

"Spirituality affects outcomes because it's a prerequisite to the courage to overcome," Siegel said. "Great doctoring helps enormously, but prayer and hope give patients the strength to keep fighting."

"The Angels Among Us" is available for pre-order. 

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Doctor reveals '10-year rule' for evaluating brain fog and dementia symptoms

Losing a train of thought, struggling to recall once-familiar words, or forgetting the reason for walking into a room can leave older adults wondering if they are experiencing early signs of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

However, these brain blips can often be tied to hormone shifts later in life, medical experts note — and women who experience a loss of estrogen during perimenopause and menopause are particularly affected.

According to Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, a professor of neurology at UCLA and co-founder of Cleopatra RX in Los Angeles, women experiencing memory struggles in midlife should compare their cognitive function to their own past performance before assuming something is seriously wrong.

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"I think they should listen to themselves," Voskuhl told Fox News Digital at the Livelong Women’s Health Summit in New York City on Friday. "They know. Just ask yourself."

To help women gauge whether their memory lapses are tied to hormonal shifts, Voskuhl recommends using a quick benchmark – comparing their current mental state to where it was a decade ago.

"The first question is, are you worse than you were 10 years ago?" she said, referencing the Voskuhl Brain Fog Menopause Assessment used at UCLA's Comprehensive Menopausal Program.

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"Ten years is a pretty good spot. And they think, ‘What was I doing 10 years ago? What was I like? Was I having problems finding the words? Was I at the point where I couldn’t multitask anymore? Was I slow in my processing?’ And they’ll remember."

This comparison can help reveal whether a woman’s cognitive changes may be linked to menopause, while giving patients and physicians a baseline for tracking symptoms over time.

Standard memory tests don’t always catch subtle shifts in everyday cognitive function. In the medical community, this is known as subjective cognitive decline, when patients notice changes even though neurological testing remains normal.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that roughly one in nine adults report subjective cognitive decline, yet less than half discuss these memory concerns with a healthcare professional.

To illustrate why routine tests can miss early menopausal brain fog, Voskuhl compared it to a high-performing athlete.

"If somebody is an NFL football player and he says, 'I'm weaker than I used to be,' and I go and do my neurological test, I say, 'Oh no, you're still strong,'" Voskuhl said.

What the player is feeling still matters, even if a standard test shows no obvious decline, she noted.

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Women, too, can often recognize when their cognitive abilities have changed from their own baseline and should trust those observations, according to Voskuhl.

Understanding the difference between hormonal brain fog and neurodegenerative disease comes down to how memory loss impacts daily function, experts agree.

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Menopausal brain fog typically involves temporary, inconsistent lapses like misplacing items or experiencing slower processing speed, but overall reasoning skills and independence remain intact, according to Mayo Clinic. Symptoms often fluctuate and can be exacerbated by stress or poor sleep.

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By contrast, early dementia causes persistent, progressive memory loss that interferes with basic daily tasks like managing finances, following familiar routes while driving or exercising sound judgment.

Amid cognitive concerns, experts advise seeking a full medical evaluation, including brain MRIs or vascular screenings, to rule out underlying issues like blood vessel disease or thyroid imbalances.

For women who feel their concerns are being dismissed, Voskuhl offered this advice: "When they have doctors who don't listen to them, they need to find another doctor."

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Never smoked a cigarette? You could still be at higher risk for lung cancer

A rare genetic mutation could put people at a dramatically higher risk of developing lung cancer even if they’ve never smoked.

A rare mutation in the gene EGFR T790M was found to increase lung cancer risk by 25 times compared with people who did not have the mutation, according to a new study published in the journal Science.

Among people who had never smoked, carriers of the mutation had about 62 times the odds of lung cancer compared with never-smokers who did not have it.

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The study, led by investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and 23andMe Research Institute, analyzed data from more than 3.3 million people.

The gene variant showed no increased risk across 17 other cancers studied.

"Today, lung cancer screening is driven almost entirely by smoking history," study co-author Jaclyn LoPiccolo, attending physician and lung cancer researcher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, said in a press release.

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"Our findings raise the possibility that, in the future, screening could also be dictated by inherited genetic risk. If further studies confirm the benefit, people with EGFR T790M could be identified through genetic testing and offered personalized CT screening to identify lung cancers when they are at their most curable stage."

Most U.S. carriers of the mutation were traced to a shared ancestry linked to British and Irish settlers in Southern Appalachia about 200–225 years ago, the researchers found.

The mutation remains rare nationwide, affecting roughly one in 15,000–16,000 people. It is more common in some parts of Southern Appalachia, where researchers estimate as many as one in 2,000 people may carry it.

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"We found that the vast majority of carriers inherited the mutation from the same ancestral lineage," said LoPiccolo. "We could trace that lineage to British and Irish settlers in the United States and show that the mutation became enriched after a founder event and genetic bottleneck in Southern Appalachia about 200 years ago.

"It's a fascinating example of how human migration and genealogy can shape disease risk, generations later."

One of the "remarkable" findings of the study was the fact that a single mutation could have such a strong effect, according to Alexander Gusev, a quantitative geneticist at Dana-Farber.

"To my knowledge, it's one of the strongest, if not the strongest, cancer risk-increasing mutations that has ever been found," he said in the release.

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"Smoking is bad for lung cancer. This mutation is bad for lung cancer. When you do both, your risk is the sum of those two risks," he added. "So, you definitely don't want to smoke."

The researchers suggest that people with a strong family history of lung cancer, multiple lung nodules or tumors or family roots in parts of the southeastern U.S. should consider speaking with a genetic counselor about whether genetic testing or lung cancer screening makes sense for them.

There were some limitations to the study.

Because the mutation is so rare, researchers identified relatively few carriers even among the millions of participants, meaning the exact size of the increased risk remains uncertain.

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The analysis also relied heavily on 23andMe research participants, who may not represent the broader population.

Because the mutation is much more common in certain parts of the U.S., the risk estimates may not apply equally to everyone, the researchers noted.

While the study establishes a strong association with lung cancer risk, it does not demonstrate that genetic testing improves mortality or other health outcomes.

The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society.

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