'Super Movers' Show Signs of Exceptional Brain Aging

 

Getting to fast walking for me would deteriorate my gait so I would destroy my left knee.

Fast walkers post stroke are complete outliers, so this tells us nothing. 20 years later and I couldn't fast walk if my life depended on getting across a street before a car hit me. All because my leg spasticity prevents correct walking kinematics. So solve the primary problem! Cure spasticity! This was completely fucking useless for stroke survivors. 

'Super Movers' Show Signs of Exceptional Brain Aging

— Fast walkers in their 80s had less risk of cognitive decline, study suggests

ey Takeaways

• Adults ages 80 and older with unusually fast gait had about half the cognitive impairment risk as others, data from several studies suggested.
• Earlier research showed that super movers -- people 80 and older who walk as fast as people 30 years younger -- had a lower burden of disease, a healthier lifestyle, and a younger biological age.
• Findings suggested that mobility may reflect broad resilience across brain, cardiovascular, and muscle systems.

Super movers -- adults 80 and older who walk as fast as people 30 years younger -- had lower risks of cognitive impairment, data from multiple cohorts suggested.

Across five cohorts in the Health and Retirement Study International Network of Studies, super movers had a lower risk of incident cognitive impairment (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.28-0.71) compared with non-super movers over follow-up periods that ranged from 3.4 to 5.4 years, reported Joe Verghese, MD, MS, of the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University in New York, and colleagues.

In the LonGenity study, super movers also showed slower cognitive decline and preserved hippocampal volume in specific subfields, Verghese and co-authors wrote in Neurology.

Autopsy data from the Rush Memory and Aging Project suggested that super movers had a trend toward better cognition before they died and a lower prevalence of clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease and other dementias compared with non-super movers. There were no differences in any of the Alzheimer's or dementia pathologies examined.

"Most aging research focuses on risk factors for cognitive decline," Verghese told MedPage Today. "We studied the opposite end of the spectrum: older adults in their 80s who walk as fast as people decades younger."

Understanding how exceptional brain aging occurs may help identify factors that promote cognitive resilience, he noted.

"Walking reflects the integrated function of multiple systems, including the brain, cardiovascular system, muscles, and sensory pathways," Verghese pointed out.

"Super movers appear to represent an exceptional aging phenotype, with a lower burden of disease, healthier lifestyles, and potentially younger biological age," he said. "A combination of favorable biology, preserved brain health, and lifelong healthy behaviors may help them maintain both mobility and cognition into late life."

Verghese and colleagues introduced the concept of super movers in earlier research that highlighted a group of older adults with a unique biological and clinical profile.

"Super movers were defined as individuals ages 80 and up with gait speeds at least 1.5 standard deviations above age- and sex-adjusted cut-scores in each cohort, which corresponded to gait speeds of adults 30 years younger," Verghese said.

The current study assessed data from people ages 80 and older without Alzheimer's disease or dementia at baseline enrolled in five cohorts of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) international network, plus participants in the LonGenity study and the Rush Memory and Aging Project.

The five HRS network cohorts contributed 3,989 participants with a baseline age of approximately 84 years; 47% to 65% were women and 358 people were super movers. The prevalence of super movers ranged from 6.4% to 9.8% across cohorts. The cohorts had harmonized cognitive assessments that tested total recall, orientation, serial 7s, and counting backwards. In pooled data from four network cohorts, super movers had a lower risk of survey-reported Alzheimer's disease or dementia (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.22-0.58).

In the LonGenity cohort, 197 participants had a baseline age of approximately 85 years; 57.8% were women, and 14 were classified as super movers. Over a mean follow-up of 4.4 years, super movers demonstrated a slower decline in memory (P=0.016) and specific non-memory measures (P=0.004) compared with non-super movers. Structural brain data suggested greater mean right hippocampal volume among super movers (P=0.032), although the sample size was limited. Mean cortical thickness did not differ between groups.

The Rush cohort included 692 volunteers with a baseline age of 86 years; 68.9% were women and 84 people were super movers. Mean age at death was 95 years for super movers and 93 years for non-super movers (P<0.001). At their last clinical assessment, super movers showed trends toward better global cognition scores (mean z score -0.79 vs -0.81, P=0.86) and a lower prevalence of clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's or other dementias (86.7% vs 13.2%, P=0.65) compared with non-super movers, but differences were not statistically significant.

The study had several limitations, Verghese and colleagues acknowledged. The definition of super movers was based on gait speed, but other measurements like step-to-step variability may offer different insights into relationships between gait and cognition, they said.

The Rush cohort had a high prevalence of super movers, likely due to the study's prevalence of "older adults who are highly educated, more health conscious, and generally high-functioning, hence introducing potential selection biases," the researchers suggested. Other limitations included relatively small sub-samples of people 80 and older with neuroimaging and biomarker data, and the possibility of unmeasured confounding.

Judy George covers neurology and neuroscience news for MedPage Today, writing about brain aging, Alzheimer’s, dementia, MS, rare diseases, epilepsy, autism, headache, stroke, Parkinson’s, ALS, concussion, CTE, sleep, pain, and more. Connect:

Disclosures

This project was funded by NIH grants.

Verghese reported being a scientific advisor for MedRhythms and CatchU. He and co-authors disclosed relationships with NIH-supported projects.

Primary Source

Neurology

Source Reference: Jayakody O, et al "Cognitive aging and brain health: A comparison of super movers vs nonsuper movers" Neurology 2026; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000214776.

New Hope for Stroke Survivors UMD Study Shows Promise for Speech Recovery After Stroke

 Will your incompetent? doctor do nothing to change this from 'promise' TO WILL RECOVER!

New Hope for Stroke Survivors UMD Study Shows Promise for Speech Recovery After Stroke

By University of MN Duluth

June 26, 2026 at 8:31 AM

It’s estimated that 795,000 people have strokes each year in the United States. Two million are living with post-stroke aphasia—a loss or reduction of language skills. This communication challenge can affect a person’s identity, relationships, and overall sense of belonging.

A team in the UMD Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) is pilot-testing a promising therapeutic approach for aphasia. Associate Professor Sharyl Samargia-Grivette leads the study, which is integrating existing behavioral therapy with noninvasive brain stimulation.

“A big research priority right now in the field of speech-language pathology is trying to find more effective therapy strategies—or combining the therapy strategies that we have now to be more effective,” Samargia-Grivette explains.

Instructor Lynette Carlson and three CSD graduate students are part of the team in Samargia-Grivette’s Neural Function and Recovery Lab working on the project. The students are assisting with various aspects of the research, from the literature review to therapy sessions and data analysis.

Carlson directs the Robert F. Pierce (RFP) Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic and has practiced in medical settings. She has extensive experience working with people with aphasia. “As a therapist thinking of the future of the profession and of people who have aphasia, this research is so exciting and motivating,” she says.

Hopeful Preliminary Results

Samargia-Grivette received National Institutes of Health funding through the National Center of Neuromodulation for Rehabilitation at the Medical University of South Carolina for this research. The pilot study includes five participants.

Participants visit the lab, located in the Chester Park Building 17 times during the study. They are evaluated for language, memory and brain activity, using electroencephalography (EEG)—both at the beginning and end of the research. During the intervention sessions, participants engage in a high-intensity therapy approach in which they must use speech during a matching card game with Carlson as the facilitator. A graduate student provides cues to the participant as needed. As they progress, the game increases in verbal complexity. Words become phrases and sentences.

During a portion of the sessions, participants simultaneously receive Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS). The idea is that stimulating the brain with a low, direct electric current while practicing word and phrase retrieval can help to rebuild neural pathways to the damaged portion of the brain that controls language.

Samargia-Grivette reports positive preliminary results. “Data analysis is still underway … but qualitatively, what we’ve noticed is they’re noticing a benefit from the interventions—and spouses of the participants reported that their loved ones were talking a lot more—that they had really noticed a big increase in their communication,” she says.

Haley Evans, one of the graduate students on the project, says that hearing such feedback from clients and their spouses has been rewarding. “It's hard for us as young students to really believe that we are making a difference … So to be able to hear that firsthand, it's really a strong, powerful feeling,” she says.

Evans says the experience has also helped her feel more confident as a clinician. Carlson points out that research is an integral piece of student education and future career preparation. “As a speech-language pathologist, it is important to know the research process and appreciate how the process is pushing the profession forward.”

Carlson is humbled to be a part of “research that so directly and impactfully makes a difference in everyday life.” She says helping clients “reclaim their voices” is important for individuals and their sense of belonging to the community. “If I can sit down and have a conversation with a dear friend or a grandchild, or talk about who I am, or simply order coffee by myself—that’s the essence of human connection.”

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5 bed exercises adults over 55 can use to rebuild leg strength

 In case your incompetent? doctor didn't get your legs fully recovered!

5 bed exercises adults over 55 can use to rebuild leg strength

The 8-Minute Bed Routine That Restores Leg Muscle Faster Than Weight Training After 55

As you age, muscle strength becomes increasingly important. Without it, daily activities can become more and more challenging. You count on your leg muscles more than you'd think, and they keep you balanced and independent. Just consider how often you run errands, lift things up off the floor, and walk up and down stairs each day.

It's important to keep your leg muscles strong, because as early as your 30s and 40s, you lose muscle by a natural process known as sarcopenia. The loss even revs up after 65. That means your body repairs your muscles less, and they can even decrease in size.

Getting in the right amount of exercise is essential to keep your leg muscles in check, so we spoke with Jaqueline Gavino, MPH, CHES® & Director of Fitness at Pritikin to help you out.

"The goal of a bed-based routine is to activate muscle groups without joint stress or equipment," Gavino tells us. "What makes bed-based routines especially effective for this age group is the consistency factor. By removing every barrier, no commute, no equipment, no balance risk, people are far more likely to follow through daily. In older adults, adherence and frequency are ultimately what convert muscle stimulus into lasting strength gains."

Try this eight-minute bed routine that can help get the job faster than classic weight training after 55.

1. Supine Glute Bridges

"Electromyographic (EMG) research shows the supine bridge produces strong gluteus maximus activation at approximately 33.8% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), with a favorable glute-to-hamstring ratio, making it highly efficient for glute recruitment while lying down," Gavino explains.

1. Begin by lying flat on your back with bent knees and feet hip-width apart on the mattress.
2. Place your arms at your sides with palms pressing into the surface.
3. Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
4. Squeeze your buttocks, holding at the top for a moment.
5. Lower your hips back to the start position.
6. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

RELATED: The 6-Minute Chair Routine That Builds Leg Muscle Faster Than Squats After 60

2. Straight-Leg Raise

"Age-related strength decline tends to be more pronounced in the quads than hamstrings, and quadriceps strength is a key predictor of functional ability in older adults. The straight-leg raise loads the quads safely in a fully supine position. This is one of my favorites because it also mimics the correct way of walking, using so many functional muscles and improving posture," Gavino says.

1. Start by lying flat on your back with your arms extended overhead.
2. Keep one leg extended on the mattress and the other bent.
3. Activate your core as you lift the extended leg off the mattress, keeping your lower back pressed into the surface.
4. Hold for 3 seconds at the top.
5. Use control to lower your leg.
6. Repeat on the other side.
7. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps on each leg.

RELATED: 5 Chair Exercises That Restore Leg Strength Faster Than Squats After 60

3. Lying Leg Curl

(Interesting that lying face down I can engage my left hamstring fully, no other position works! Ask your doctor to explain.)  

"Research confirms the lying leg curl produces the greatest hamstring activation and the highest hamstring-to-quadriceps EMG ratio compared to squats, deadlifts, and hip thrusts, making it uniquely effective for hamstring isolation horizontally," Gavino explains.

1. Begin by lying flat on your stomach on the mattress with legs extended behind you.
2. Place your forehead on a pillow or your hands for support.
3. Bend one knee and bring your heel toward your glute.
4. Curl it as far as you're comfortably able to while pressing your thigh into the mattress.
5. Hold briefly at the top, squeezing your hamstring.
6. Return to the start position.
7. Perform 2 sets of 12 reps on each leg.

RELATED: If You Can Do These 8 Lower-Body Moves, Your Leg Strength Is Elite

4. Side-Lying Hip Abduction

"The gluteus medius is critical for gait stability and fall prevention, a top concern for this age group. This movement targets those lateral hip muscles with zero joint loading," Gavino points out.

1. Start by lying on one side of your body with your legs stacked.
2. Lift your top leg slightly back and up.
3. Perform 2 sets of 12 reps on each leg.

RELATED: This 5-Minute Morning Routine Builds More Strength Than Hour-Long Workouts After 50

5. Ankle Pumps

"This exercise activates the calf muscles and supports venous return, especially important first thing in the morning, and serves as a warm-up before progressing to more demanding movements," explains Gavino.

1. Start by lying flat on your back in bed.
2. Keep your body relaxed and your legs extended or slightly bent.
3. Pull your toes back toward your shins, flexing at the ankles.
4. Continue to switch between pointing and flexing.
5. Perform 2 sets of 20 reps.

Read the original article on Eat This Not That.

One simple walking change could have a dramatic effect on health

 Which means your competent? doctor has to get your affected hand and arm 100% recovered to do this! 

Did your doctor completely fail at that task?

One simple walking change could have a dramatic effect on health

Walking is a great way to improve one’s cardiovascular health, and a new study found that a small tweak can also drastically improve mental health.

In a new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers examined the effects of walking with poles, a Finnish practice known as “Nordic walking.

They found that the poles helped bring about a major boost in benefits.

What is Nordic Walking?

Nordic walking first originated as a way to practice cross-country skiing during the summer, involving 90% percent of the body by engaging in the same motion used by long-distance skiers.

However, simply adding poles to walking—even without the ulterior cross-country motives—proved effective in the study.

The researchers found that over 10 weeks, a group of 64 adults struggling with moderate to severe depression experienced a substantial improvement in their depressive symptoms, a far greater improvement than their counterparts, who didn’t walk.

According to the researchers, the benefits happened quickly—most showed up within five weeks of starting to walk and exercise.

Mental Health and Exercise

The results may not come as a surprise given the physical exertion of Nordic walking, since even small amounts of exercise have previously been shown to be very effective against depression, anxiety and other mental-health conditions.

A 2018 study covered by Newsweek noted that for some individuals, as little as 10 minutes of activity per week could improve their mood significantly.

A 2019 study found that 95% of people who participated saw improvements to their mood, and 97.6% said they planned to keep exercising.

Meanwhile, an influencer shared a video in October 2024 showing people struggling with severe depression how to get moving, even if they don’t feel like they can leave their bed.

A ‘Compelling’ and ‘Cost-Effective’ Approach

By the end of the recent study in Journal of Affective Disorders, the results were remarkable: 35- to 53-percent of the walkers had achieved remission to the point that they no longer were above the threshold for clinical depression.

Notably, the participants did not experience any injuries during the program—a result that highlights a massive health benefit of walking.

“These findings posit physical activity as a compelling, cost-effective and accessible addition to the therapeutic arsenal for depression,” the researchers wrote.

“Efforts to integrate exercise into depression treatment should emphasize early symptom reduction and safety.”

Popular 'healthy food' actually linked to faster brain decline: experts

 What does your competent? doctor and dietician think of this?

I disagree with the cheese part since dairy fat is actually good for you. 

dairy fat (49 posts to April 2016)

Popular 'healthy food' actually linked to faster brain decline: experts

A popular health food staple has been linked to faster cognitive decline, despite being a key part of a popular diet believed to do the opposite, according to data from the Framingham Heart Study via BMJ Journals.

A decade-long study's findings showed that whole grains were unexpectedly associated with a faster decline, despite having been a key component of the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH eating plans, which was previously believed to have significantly reduced Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. The study used repeated MRI scans of 1,647 adults who recorded all the foods they consumed over the years and each person's MIND died was scored on a scale of 0 to 15, with an average score of 6.8, equating to someone who typically eats salads but still indulges in fast food.

Higher MIND diet scores showed significantly slower loss of gray matter, with berries and poultry largely responsible for the positive outcome, while grains like oats and brown rice, as well as cheese, were linked to a quicker decline. The findings were made as researchers looked at individual diet components and are believed to warrant more research.

Previous trials, however, showed that the MIND diet, which includes greens, berries, nuts and olive oil, had positive brain benefits as it lowered high blood pressure and increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, reducing the risk of brain cell damage and Alzheimer's. Studies have found that individuals who followed the diet had an overall 9% reduced risk of dementia and a greater reduction of risk as it continued longer, with a 25% lower risk over a 10-year period.

3 new studies point to promising ways to reduce stroke risk

 The Mediterranean diet has NO SPECIFICS WHATSOVER! So go ask you competent? doctor and hospital for SPECIFICS! Not being able to provide them means your board of directors is so incompetent they can't recognize incompetence in their hospital!  The Shigrix vaccine and asundexian have been out there for years; only an incompetent? doctor wouldn't already have provided them!

• Asundexian (9 posts to April 2025)
  
• Shingrix vaccine (10 posts to October 2017)

3 new studies point to promising ways to reduce stroke risk

• A recent study has found that following the Mediterranean diet may help reduce the risk of stroke in women, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
• The shingles vaccine may help reduce the risk of stroke and other heart problems in people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), according to recent findings.
• Research from April 2026 suggests that the drug asundexian may help reduce the chance of secondary ischemic stroke in people who have had an ischemic stroke or high risk transient ischemic attack (TIA).

An ischemic stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is restricted or cut off. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when there is bleeding in or around the brain. A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is similar to an ischemic stroke, but occurs due to a more short-term blockage of blood flow to the brain.

Stroke is the fourth most common cause of death in the United States, according to the American Stroke AssociationTrusted Source. They also suggest that up to 80% of strokes are preventable.

Some recent studies have explored various factors that may help lower the risk of stroke.

For example, the Mediterranean diet may help reduce the likelihood of stroke in women, according to research published in Neurology Open Access. The Mediterranean diet focuses on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

A study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26) in March 2026 suggests that the shingles vaccine may help reduce the risk of stroke. The study results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Additionally, the oral medication asundexian may reduce the risk of secondary stroke in people who have experienced an ischemic stroke or high risk TIA. This means it could help protect against an additional stroke.

Here’s what Medical News Today‘s coverage of these studies found.

Mediterranean diet may reduce stroke risk

A 2026 study published in Neurology Open Access looked at the possible benefits of the Mediterranean diet for reducing the risk of stroke in women.

The research asked the 105,614 participants about their eating habits, and assigned them a Mediterranean diet score. A higher score meant that their diet was more closely aligned with that of the Mediterranean diet.

The research found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet or a similar diet had a reduced risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the greatest risk factor for stroke. However, diet can also play a significant role in blood pressure, with certain diets potentially helping lower blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of stroke.

While more research is necessary, this study suggests that focusing on a plant-based diet, with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, may help reduce the risk of stroke in some cases.

“Emphasis on extra-virgin olive oil, omega-3–rich fish, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds supports endothelial function, improves cholesterol quality, and helps regulate blood pressure, blood sugar, and inflammation,” said Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, a registered dietitian, who spoke to Medical News Today in an interview and was not involved in the study.

Shingles vaccines could reduce stroke risk

A recent study, the findings of which were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26) in March 2026, looked at the effects of the shingles vaccine on heart health.

The study included 275,304 people who had received the shingles vaccine and 275,304 people who had not. It determined that people who had received the vaccine were less likely to experience major adverse cardiac events.

However, as the study was observational, it cannot directly prove cause and effect for the shingles vaccine providing these benefits. The findings are also yet to be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

“We already recommend that all adults 50 and older receive the shingles vaccine. This study further supports this recommendation, especially in patients with established cardiovascular disease,” said Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, in an interview with MNT. Chen was not involved in the study.

Asundexian may reduce risk of secondary stroke

Secondary stroke, or recurrent stroke, refers to a stroke that happens in somebody who has already had a stroke. Around 1 in 4 strokes in the United States each year are secondary ischemic strokes.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2026 suggests that asundexian, an oral anticoagulant, may help reduce the risk of a second stroke in people who have experienced a noncardiometabolic ischemic stroke or high-risk TIA. “Noncardiometabolic” means that the blood clot or blockage formed outside of the heart.

Asundexian works by inhibiting activated clotting factor XIa. This is a protein that plays a role in blood clots. Inhibiting the activity or factor XIa may help reduce blood clot formation, potentially lowering the risk of stroke.

“For about 50 years, the mainstay of secondary stroke prevention has been aspirin monotherapy. This represents the first significant improvement for most ischemic strokes apart from short-term use of dual antiplatelet therapy,” explained Ashkan ShoamaneshTrusted Source, MD, co‑principal investigator of the study and Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) senior scientist, in an interview with MNT.

If you’d like to read more about MNT’s coverage of these studies and explore them in detail, please visit our news hub.