Happy & Healthy with Amy

If Alzheimer’s starts in the brain years—sometimes decades—before symptoms appear, why wait until memory problems begin to treat it?

That’s the question behind today’s episode.

The newer Alzheimer’s drugs Leqembi and Kisunla appear to offer the most promising results when treatment starts early. But “early” doesn’t currently mean before symptoms.

So how early can you take them?

In this episode, Amy explains where the treatment window begins today, why these anti-amyloid drugs aren’t currently approved for people with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease, and what researchers are studying to determine whether that could change.

You’ll also learn why having amyloid in your brain does not guarantee that you’ll develop dementia—and why being too early for medication doesn’t mean you’re too early to take meaningful action to protect your brain.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How early you can currently start Leqembi or Kisunla
• The difference between MCI, mild dementia, and preclinical Alzheimer’s disease
• Why doctors need to confirm that amyloid is present before prescribing an anti-amyloid treatment
• Why earlier treatment within the current treatment window may produce more promising results
• How amyloid, tau, inflammation, and neurodegeneration fit into Alzheimer’s progression
• Why removing amyloid later in the disease process may have less impact
• What the AHEAD 3-45 and TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 3 prevention trials are trying to discover
• Why amyloid in the brain does not automatically mean dementia is inevitable
• The risks and treatment burden that must be weighed against the potential benefits of earlier treatment
• What you can start doing today if your goal is to prevent or delay cognitive decline

Download Amy’s free RESTORED Protocol:
amylangcoaching.com

Use it to assess the major lifestyle areas that support brain health and identify the next step you can take toward building an Alzheimer’s-resistant brain.

Related episodes:
Listen to Amy’s Leqembi and Kisunla series, including:

• Leqembi or Kisunla? 8 Things You Need to Know Before You Decide
• Understanding ARIA: How Risky Are Leqembi and Kisunla?
• Alzheimer’s Early Diagnosis: When Should You See a Neurologist?

Memory and thinking problems do not automatically mean Alzheimer’s disease. There are multiple possible causes of cognitive impairment, including conditions that may be treatable or potentially reversible.

And if Alzheimer’s is the cause, the disease-modifying treatments available today are designed specifically for the early symptomatic stages.

Talk with a qualified healthcare professional or ask for a referral to a neurologist.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

If Alzheimer’s runs in your family, you may find yourself wondering: Is this going to happen to me?

You may worry about losing your memory, your independence, or your ability to make your own decisions. And every forgotten name or misplaced pair of glasses can suddenly feel a little more loaded.

But here’s what I want you to know: your genes are not your destiny.

We now know that the brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s can begin 10, 20, or even 30 years before noticeable symptoms appear. And while that may sound scary at first, there’s another way to look at it: that long runway may give us an important window for Alzheimer’s prevention.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what prevention actually means in real life. We’ll talk about preclinical Alzheimer’s, amyloid and tau, the prevention trials testing whether treating earlier can protect cognitive function, and a finding involving people in their 50s and early 60s that I found particularly encouraging.

Because the goal isn’t simply to avoid an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

It’s to stay sharp, curious, independent, and fully engaged in your life for as long as possible.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

• 00:00 — What Alzheimer’s prevention really means in real life. It’s about more than keeping a blood test negative. It’s about protecting your memory, independence, judgment, relationships, and ability to live life on your terms.
• 03:47 — Myth #1: “Alzheimer’s runs in my family, so I’m probably going to get it.” Learn why family history and APOE4 can affect risk without determining your future.
• 06:11 — Myth #2: Alzheimer’s is a disease of old age. The symptoms may appear later in life, but Alzheimer’s-related brain changes can begin 10, 20, or even 30 years earlier.
• 07:18 — What “preclinical Alzheimer’s” actually means. You can have Alzheimer’s-related biological changes while still thinking normally, working, driving, and managing everyday life.
• 09:03 — Amyloid vs. tau: the wildfire analogy. Amyloid may act more like kindling, while the spread of tau appears to track more closely with brain-cell loss and cognitive decline.
• 13:33 — Are we treating Alzheimer’s too late? Learn what the AHEAD and TRAILBLAZER-ALZ prevention trials are testing in people who are still cognitively normal.
• 15:42 — The midlife finding I found especially encouraging. Researchers stopped screening 55- to 64-year-olds for one major prevention trial because so many weren't reaching the required p-tau217 blood-test cutoff.
• 18:07 — Why “earlier treatment” doesn't automatically mean “better choice.” Anti-amyloid drugs can have serious risks, which means preventing or delaying the need for treatment remains an important goal.
• 20:14 — Prevention vs. cure vs. reversal. These words aren't interchangeable. Learn what each would actually mean for Alzheimer's disease—and where medicine stands today.
• 27:00 — Why I want us to aim higher than “not getting dementia.” Meet the “superagers” and consider a new goal: building a brain that stays sharp, curious, resilient, and engaged as you age.

Alzheimer’s prevention doesn’t have to begin with a brain scan, blood test, or prescription. For most healthy people, it can begin much earlier—with the daily choices that support a stronger, more resilient brain.

So instead of asking only, How do I avoid dementia?, let’s aim higher: How do I give myself the best possible chance of staying cognitively strong as I age?

Listen to the full episode, subscribe to Happy & Healthy with Amy, and download my free RESTORED Protocol to learn the eight essential protective factors you can start working on now.

Episode about ARIA and anti-amyloid treatment risks:
https://youtu.be/sjof-a6ow6M

Anti-Amyloid Treatment Checklist:
https://www.amylangcoaching.com/treatmentchecklist

National Institute on Aging:
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-caregiving

Alzheimer’s Association:
https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

You hear the phrase Alzheimer’s prevention all the time.

But what if the disease process has already started before you know it?

What if Alzheimer’s-related changes are already happening in your brain—but you have no memory problems, no cognitive symptoms, and no idea anything is going on?

Can we still call that prevention?

And here’s another question: As Alzheimer’s testing gets earlier and more sensitive, is knowing sooner always better?

In this episode, we’re unpacking what Alzheimer’s prevention really means, why timing changes the goal, and the surprising reason more testing isn’t automatically better.

Because depending on where someone is in the disease process, we may be trying to prevent very different things.

And understanding that distinction can completely change the way you interpret the next Alzheimer’s headline you see.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

• 00:00 — Why “Alzheimer’s prevention” may not mean what you think it means. The distinction that changes the entire conversation.
• 01:11 — What cancer can teach us about Alzheimer’s prevention. Why Amy uses screening, early detection, and treatment as a surprisingly useful analogy.
• 03:00 — When prevention really does mean preventing disease. Where blood pressure, cholesterol, exercise, sleep, diabetes, hearing loss, and other modifiable risk factors fit.
• 05:15 — The problem with the “45% preventable” statistic. What that number does—and does not—mean for your personal Alzheimer’s risk.
• 07:30 — What if Alzheimer’s has already started in the brain? The point where the definition of prevention gets much murkier.
• 10:00 — Three versions of “Alzheimer’s disease” that are easy to confuse. Why pathology, clinical disease, and dementia aren’t interchangeable.
• 13:00 — Could treating Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear actually work? The research question scientists are now trying to answer.
• 16:00 — When prevention starts looking a lot more like treatment. What changes once cognitive symptoms appear.
• 19:15 — The fourth kind of prevention most people have never heard of. And why it could become increasingly important as Alzheimer’s testing gets earlier.
• 21:00 — Should you get tested just because a test exists? The question Amy believes matters more than simply asking, “Can I?”

The most important takeaway from this episode is that there may be something you can do at every stage—but the stage changes the goal.

What we’re trying to prevent at age 52 with no signs of disease may be very different from what we’re trying to prevent once Alzheimer’s-related pathology or cognitive symptoms are present.

Listen to the full episode to understand where primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary prevention fit—and why these distinctions may become even more important as Alzheimer’s testing and treatment continue to evolve.

And if this episode helps you think differently about Alzheimer’s prevention, follow Happy & Healthy with Amy and share it with someone who has been wondering what they can actually do to protect their brain.

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

You probably already know that memory changes can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s.

But what about taking twice as long to finish familiar tasks? Or becoming more withdrawn? 

Those are the kinds of changes most people never connect to brain health.

And that creates a problem: if you’re only watching for memory loss, you may be overlooking other changes worth paying attention to.

In the previous episode, we talked about why early diagnosis matters. Today, we’re answering the question that comes next: What exactly should you be looking for?

What to Listen For

• 00:00 — When does a frustrating memory lapse become something worth paying attention to? One forgotten word isn’t the issue. Amy explains what matters more.
• 03:30 — The 4 questions to ask before assuming the worst. This simple filter can help you separate an isolated “brain glitch” from a pattern that deserves a closer look.
• 07:10 — The memory distinction that changes how you think about forgetting. There’s an important difference between struggling to retrieve information and not retaining it in the first place.
• 11:00 — Misplacing something isn’t necessarily the red flag. What happens after you realize it’s missing may be much more revealing.
• 13:30 — An early change that can show up while driving or navigating. It may begin far more subtly than getting lost somewhere familiar.
• 14:45 — Why being able to complete a familiar task doesn’t always mean nothing has changed. Sometimes the clue is hidden in how much harder your brain has to work.
• 17:05 — The signs the people around you may notice before you do. Some early changes have surprisingly little to do with memory.
• 18:30 — The unexpected sense that may offer clues about brain health. It’s not diagnostic, but it’s one most people would never think to mention to their doctor.
• 20:00 — When several small changes start becoming a pattern. Amy explains when it may be time to stop monitoring on your own and start a conversation with a healthcare professional.
• 23:30 — What can you actually do with this information? Amy shares what a major lifestyle study found about cognition—and why your next step shouldn’t be trying to change everything at once.

If you haven’t listened to the previous episode on why early diagnosis matters, listen to that one next. Then download the free RESTORED Protocol, choose one small action you can take today to support your brain health, and share this episode with someone who may be wondering about changes in themselves or someone they love.

Recommended Complimentary Episodes

• Alzheimer’s Early Diagnosis: When Should You See a Neurologist? Why getting answers sooner matters.
• Do Leqembi and Kisunla Work? The 2 Key Factors. Start here for Part 1 of Amy’s three-part anti-amyloid series. Learn why the stage of Alzheimer’s disease and tau burden can influence how meaningful treatment benefit may be.
• Understanding ARIA: How Risky Are Leqembi and Kisunla? Part 2 explains the brain swelling and bleeding risk that comes with anti-amyloid treatment, why ARIA exists on a spectrum, and why individual risk factors matter.
• Leqembi or Kisunla? 8 Questions Before You Decide. The natural next listen after Episode 356. Amy walks families through the questions to consider when a neurologist says someone with MCI or early Alzheimer’s may qualify for treatment.
• Alzheimer’s Drugs: Why Amyloid Removal May Not Be Enough. Learn why successfully clearing amyloid from the brain doesn’t necessarily translate into meaningful improvements in memory or daily function, and how tau, neuroinflammation, and timing factor into the Alzheimer’s disease process.

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

You forget a word you’ve known forever. Miss an appointment you normally would never forget. Or maybe your mom tells the same story three times during dinner.

And suddenly the thought appears:

What if this is Alzheimer’s?

Then comes the question that can keep people stuck for months—or even years:

Do I really want to know?

In this episode of Happy & Healthy with Amy, we’re talking about why so many people delay getting memory changes evaluated, what that waiting period may quietly be costing you, and why seeing a neurologist doesn’t necessarily mean getting the answer you fear most.

You’ll also learn why timing matters more now than it did just a few years ago, the mistake families often make when trying to convince a reluctant parent to get checked, and one potential outcome of an evaluation that rarely gets talked about.

If you’ve been wondering whether you—or someone you love—should see a neurologist, this episode will help you understand what may be at stake before you decide to wait.

What To Listen For

• [00:00] The kitchen moment that can instantly trigger the fear: “What if this is how Alzheimer’s starts?”
• [06:22] What Amy means by a meaningful cognitive change—and why a change from your personal baseline matters more than an occasional forgotten word
• [07:09] Five thoughts that can keep you from making the appointment, including “It’s just normal aging” and “There’s nothing you can do”
• [12:53] Why avoiding an Alzheimer’s evaluation may temporarily preserve hope—but can also prolong chronic stress and uncertainty
• [14:54] Other conditions that can look like cognitive decline, including sleep apnea, thyroid problems, depression, medication effects, vascular disease, and menopause-related changes
• [15:42] The possibility almost nobody talks about: your neurologist may be able to tell you that you don’t have Alzheimer’s
• [17:42] Why an early Alzheimer’s diagnosis can preserve access to newer treatment conversations—including Leqembi and Kisunla
• [19:06] How getting answers earlier can protect your voice in decisions involving treatment, finances, driving, living arrangements, and medical preferences
• [21:40] How to approach a parent or partner who refuses to see a neurologist without creating even more resistance
• [25:11] The difference between investigating symptoms now and the “hidden window” before symptoms—and what prevention studies such as AHEAD are trying to learn

Fear may tell you that avoiding the appointment protects you from bad news. But not knowing doesn’t eliminate the uncertainty—and an evaluation may bring answers, options, or even relief.

If you’ve noticed a meaningful cognitive change in yourself or someone you love, listen to the full episode and consider making that next appointment. Then subscribe to Happy & Healthy with Amy so you don’t miss future episodes on Alzheimer’s prevention, early diagnosis, and the choices families may face after a diagnosis.

Recommended Complimentary Episodes

• Do Leqembi and Kisunla Work? The 2 Key Factors. Start here for Part 1 of Amy’s three-part anti-amyloid series. Learn why the stage of Alzheimer’s disease and tau burden can influence how meaningful treatment benefit may be.
• Understanding ARIA: How Risky Are Leqembi and Kisunla? Part 2 explains the brain swelling and bleeding risk that comes with anti-amyloid treatment, why ARIA exists on a spectrum, and why individual risk factors matter.
• Leqembi or Kisunla? 8 Questions Before You Decide. The natural next listen after Episode 356. Amy walks families through the questions to consider when a neurologist says someone with MCI or early Alzheimer’s may qualify for treatment.
• Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The Conversation to Start Early with Sandra Newsome. A strong companion for listeners who receive a diagnosis and immediately wonder what conversations need to happen with the people they love.
• Alzheimer’s Drugs: Why Amyloid Removal May Not Be Enough. Learn why successfully clearing amyloid from the brain doesn’t necessarily translate into meaningful improvements in memory or daily function, and how tau, neuroinflammation, and timing factor into the Alzheimer’s disease process.

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

Your mom or dad has been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s, and the neurologist says Leqembi or Kisunla may be an option.

Now comes the harder question:

Just because they qualify, does that mean treatment is actually worth it?

There are a few pieces of information that can meaningfully change that answer. Some are obvious. Others are easy to misunderstand. And one commonly discussed Alzheimer’s biomarker may not tell you nearly as much about treatment benefit as you might assume.

In this final episode of my three-part series, I’ll show you how to put benefit, risk, treatment burden, and your parent’s priorities into the same decision.

And I’ll give you one question to ask the neurologist that may reveal more than almost anything else you ask during the appointment.

What to Listen For

• [00:00] Why being eligible for Leqembi or Kisunla is only the beginning of the decision
• [02:15] The first thing that needs to be established before treatment is even considered
• [07:00] The Alzheimer’s biomarker that sounds more predictive than it actually is 
• [09:15] Why a small-looking trial result may—or may not—matter more over time
• [11:34] The five factors that can shift ARIA risk higher or lower
• [16:15] Why ARIA risk factors can guide the conversation without predicting exactly what will happen
• [21:21] The practical differences between Leqembi and Kisunla that may matter to your family
• [23:15] Why comparing their headline trial percentages can lead you to the wrong conclusion
• [24:25] The medical question versus the personal question
• [29:00] The one neurologist question that may reveal more than almost anything else you ask

Listen to the full episode, download the free decision-making checklist, and bring it to your next neurology appointment so you can ask better questions and participate more confidently in the conversation.

And if this three-part series has helped your family, please subscribe to Happy and Healthy with Amy and share it with the brother, sister, spouse, or friend who is navigating this decision with you.

Recommended Complimentary Episodes

• Part 1: Do Leqembi and Kisunla Work? The 2 Key Factors Start here for the efficacy data and why disease stage and tau burden matter.
• Part 2: Understanding ARIA: How Risky Are Leqembi and Kisunla? The essential companion to this episode, covering brain swelling, bleeding, APOE4 and MRI monitoring.
• Is Alzheimer's Really Hereditary? What you need to know about APOE4 and your genetic risk.
• How to Prevent Cognitive Decline: What the U.S. POINTER Study Reveals.

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

If your mom or dad has been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s, you may be weighing whether one of the newer treatments—Leqembi or Kisunla—could be worth considering.

And then you hear the words brain swelling and bleeding.

For a lot of families, that’s the moment the conversation stops.

But here’s the problem: those words don’t tell you the whole story.

The ARIA rates reported in Alzheimer’s drug trials can sound alarming when you hear them on their own. What they don’t tell you is what those cases actually looked like, how often symptoms occurred, why some people are at higher risk than others, or how doctors monitor for problems before they become more serious.

That’s what we’re unpacking in Part 2 of this three-part series.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through what ARIA—amyloid-related imaging abnormalities—actually means, why it happens, how it differs from an infusion reaction, and why the top-line percentages may not tell you nearly enough about your loved one’s individual risk.

We’ll also look at an important question that doesn’t get enough attention:

Why can two people taking the same Alzheimer’s drug have very different risk profiles?

And there’s one more piece of the story that matters if you’re comparing Leqembi and Kisunla. The numbers from the original clinical trials are not necessarily the whole picture today.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

• [00:00] Why hearing “brain swelling and bleeding” can make these treatments sound scarier than the full data suggests
• [05:05] How to tell the difference between an infusion reaction and something happening specifically in the brain
• [10:18] What the ARIA spectrum actually looks like—and why one percentage can hide very different outcomes
• [14:17] Why comparing the headline ARIA rates for Leqembi and Kisunla may lead you to the wrong conclusion
• [16:48] The blood-vessel condition that may help explain why ARIA happens in the first place
• [20:53] Why APOE4 status can dramatically change the risk conversation
• [20:53] What a baseline MRI can reveal before treatment even begins
• [20:53] Why blood thinners make the risk-benefit discussion more complicated
• [20:53] How ARIA can mimic a stroke—and why that matters in an emergency
• [25:57] Why anti-amyloid drugs are only one piece of a much bigger Alzheimer’s treatment strategy

BEFORE YOU DECIDE THE RISK IS TOO HIGH

The big takeaway from this episode is that a clinical-trial ARIA percentage is not the same thing as your loved one’s individual risk.

• The type of ARIA matters.
• Whether symptoms are present matters.
• Genetics matter.
• Baseline MRI findings matter.
• Other medications matter.
• And even the way the drug is dosed may matter.

That’s why this decision deserves more than a scary headline or a single percentage.

In Part 1, we looked at the potential benefits of these newer anti-amyloid treatments. In this episode, we’re looking at the risks. And in Part 3, we’ll put both sides together and walk through a framework you can use to have a more informed conversation with your neurologist.

If this episode helps you better understand the questions worth asking, follow or subscribe to Happy and Healthy with Amy so you don’t miss Part 3.

And please share this episode with someone who is trying to make sense of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis or treatment decision.

Because the more you understand what the numbers actually mean, the better prepared you’ll be to ask the questions that matter.

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please work with a licensed healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment decisions.

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

If your mom or dad has been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease, you may suddenly be facing a decision you never expected to make: Should they take Leqembi or Kisunla?

And if you’ve already read headlines saying anti-amyloid drugs offer little to no clinically meaningful benefit, that decision gets even more confusing.

In this episode, I’m taking a closer look at the newer FDA-approved Alzheimer’s drugs—specifically lecanemab and donanemab—and an important question that can get lost when we look only at the averages: Does the stage of Alzheimer’s disease and the amount of tau already in the brain change how well these treatments work?

The answer appears to be yes.

In Part 1 of this three-part series, I’ll walk you through the evidence, explain why tau may be one of the most important pieces of this conversation, and help you understand who appears most likely to benefit from the newest Alzheimer’s treatments.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:

• [00:00] The question families face after an MCI or early Alzheimer’s diagnosis?
• [03:39] Why the conclusion from the Cochrane review deserves another look
• [05:47] Why pooling data may hide an important treatment signal.
• [09:06] The main criticism of the Cochrane review
• [15:48] Why “early is everything” when it comes to Alzheimer’s treatment
• [15:00] Amyloid vs. tau explained 
• [20:12] Why removing amyloid may have far less impact once tau levels are high
• [26:46] What the donanemab data shows when researchers separate people based on their tau burden and stage of disease.
• [27:17] What the lecanemab data really says
• [29:57] The two questions Amy recommends asking a neurologist before deciding

The biggest takeaway from this episode isn’t that the Cochrane review was “wrong.” It’s that averages can hide important differences between patients.

In Part 2, we’re talking about the risks, including ARIA, brain swelling and bleeding, and the factors that may make someone more vulnerable.

Listen to the episode, subscribe to Happy & Healthy with Amy, and share this series with someone who is trying to make sense of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis and treatment options.

RECOMMENDED EPISODES

• BrightFocus Foundation – Let’s Talk Alzheimer’s
• Alzheimer’s Prevention: What the Cochrane Review Means
• Alzheimer’s Drugs: Why Amyloid Removal May Not Be Enough
• After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: A Family Checklist
• My Mom Was Diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Am I Next?

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

What if some of what you’ve been told about exercise and aging is incomplete?

Maybe you’ve heard you need to walk more. Lift heavy. Work on your grip strength. Or simply accept that more aches, less strength, and declining mobility are inevitable as you get older.

But which of those things actually matter most if your goal is to protect your brain, stay independent, and keep doing the things you love 10, 20, or even 30 years from now?

In this episode, I’m talking with Dr. Cody Sipe, co-founder of the Functional Aging Institute, about what an exercise program for healthy aging really needs to include.

And we clear up a few ideas that sound convincing on social media but don’t tell the whole story.

Like why grip strength may not mean what you think it means.

Why strength training alone isn’t enough.

And why one of the most valuable types of training for healthy aging also happens to be one of the easiest to overlook.

Then we get practical.

What if you have an hour to exercise? What if you only have 30 minutes? Or 15?

And do those five-minute bursts of movement throughout your day actually count?

If you want to exercise in a way that supports not just a longer life, but a stronger body, healthier brain, and greater independence, this conversation will help you rethink what deserves your time.

What to Listen For

• [04:21]  Does getting older really mean everything goes downhill?
• [07:46]  Why Cody wants us to replace “retirement” with “refirement”
• [09:12]  What 4 elements belong in an ideal exercise program after 50?
• [11:17]  The question to ask before choosing your exercises
• [14:53]  When “just start lifting weights” may be the wrong advice
• [20:35]  Cardio or strength training: Which is more important for longevity?
• [22:45]  The surprisingly low-effort form of exercise with a big payoff
• [23:50]  The problem with all that advice about grip strength and longevity
• [25:33]  The “Miracle-Gro for your brain” that exercise helps stimulate
• [27:30]  What standing on one leg has to do with your brain
• [28:39]  The exercise connection to insulin resistance and brain health
• [53:19]  Only have 30 minutes? Here’s what matters most
• [54:55]  Can 15 minutes really be enough?
• [55:21]  Do five-minute bouts of exercise count?

One Big Idea to Take With You

I keep coming back to something Cody said early in our conversation:

The purpose of exercise isn’t simply to get better at exercise.

It’s to support the life you want to be able to live, so If you’ve been telling yourself you don’t have enough time to exercise, I especially want you to listen through the end of this conversation.

Thirty minutes counts.

Fifteen minutes counts.

And those little bursts of movement you fit between everything else in your life? Those may count more than you realize.

Listen to the full episode of Happy and Healthy with Amy Lang, then follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future conversations about the habits that can help protect your health—and your brain—as you age.

And send this episode to the friend who keeps telling you, “Getting older just means everything gets worse.”

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

Have you ever reached for a glass of wine, a bowl of ice cream, or another familiar comfort at the end of a stressful day—without feeling as though you consciously made the decision?

An urge can feel like a command. But it is actually information.

In Part 3 of the Name It to Navigate It series, Amy explains how emotions create urges and why your brain automatically reaches for familiar ways to find relief, comfort, distraction, or safety.

You’ll learn how to look beneath an urge and identify the need it may be trying to address. You’ll also discover why another urge often appears afterward: the urge to criticize, shame, or punish yourself for the choice you made.

Instead of treating urges as the enemy, Amy shows you how to use them to create a pause, understand what you need, and respond more intentionally.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

• [00:00]  Why urges can seem to bypass conscious choice
• [03:10]  A recap of the Name It to Navigate It series
• [04:20]  What an urge actually is
• [06:05]  Your brain’s three main priorities
• [08:05]  The payoff behind every behavior
• [09:35]  When emotional eating works—but only temporarily
• [11:10]  Primary and secondary emotions
• [13:10]  The two urges that can keep you stuck
• [15:10]  Why self-criticism is not accountability
• [17:20]  Urge versus need
• [19:00]  Treating an urge like a knock at the door
• [20:35]  “I am anxious” versus “I feel anxious”
• [22:30]   Using emotions to identify what you need

Your urges are not the enemy, and they do not have to make your decisions for you. An urge tells you that an emotion is active and a familiar loop is about to begin. When you pause, name what you are feeling, and identify the need beneath it, you create the space to choose what happens next.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Download the free Practice TLC Worksheet: moxie-club.com/tlc
• Learn more about Amy’s book, Thoughts Are Habits Too: thoughtsarehabitstoo.com
• Explore the Sharp for Life coaching program: amylangcoaching.com/staysharp

RECOMMENDED EPISODES

• Notice and Name It: The Brain Science of Putting Feelings Into Words (Part 1)
• Emotional Literacy: The Ability to Say What You Actually Feel (Part 2)
• The One About TLC
• Why You Keep Getting Stuck: The Hidden Barriers Sabotaging Your Health Goals
• The Menopause–Alzheimer’s Link: How to Protect Your Brain Health Now

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy