When Did You Last Have a Cognitive Health Check-Up?

10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

When Did You Last Have a Cognitive Health Check-Up?

Regular health check-ups are an important part of a good health regime, especially as we get older. But after you’ve been prodded, probed, sampled and so forth… When did you last have a cognitive health check-up?

Keeping on top of things

In our recent Monday Research Review main feature about citicoline, we noted that it has beneficial effects for a lot of measures of cognitive health.

And that brought us to realize: just how on top of this are we?

Your writer here today could tell you what her sleep was like on any night in the past year, what her heart rate was like, her weight, and all that. Moods too! There’s an app for that. But cognitive health? My last IQ test was in 2001, and I forget when my last memory test was.

It’s important to know how we’re doing, or else how to we know if there has been some decline? We’ve talked previously about the benefits of brain-training of various kinds to improve cognition, so in some parts we’ll draw on the same resources today, but this time the focus is on getting quick measurements that we can retest regularly (mark the calendar!)

Some quick-fire tests

These tests are all free, quick, and accessible. Some of them will try to upsell you on other (i.e. paid) services; we leave that to your own discretion, but the things we’ll be using today are free.

Test your verbal memory

This one’s a random word list generator. It defaults to 12 words, but you can change that if you like. Memorize the words, and then test yourself by seeing how many you can write down from memory. If it gets too easy, crank up the numbers.

Click here to try it now

Test your visual memory

This one’s a series of images; the test is to click to say whether you’ve seen this exact image previously in the series or not.

Click here to try it now

Test your IQ

This one’s intended to be general purpose intelligence; in reality, IQ tests have their flaws too, but it’s not a bad metric to keep track of. Just don’t get too hung up on the outcome, and remember, your only competition is yourself!

Click here to try it now

Test your attention / focus

This writer opened this and this three other attention tests (to get you the best one) before getting distracted, noting the irony, and finally taking the test. Hopefully you can do better!

Click here to try it now

Test your creativity

This one’s a random object generator. Give yourself a set period of time (per your preference, but make a note of the time you allow yourself, so that you can use the same time period when you retest yourself at a later date) in which to list as many different possible uses for the item.

Click here to try it now

Test your musical sense

This one’s a pitch recognition test. So, with the caveat that it is partially testing your hearing as well as your cognition, it’s a good one to take and regularly retest in any case.

Click here to try it now

How often should you retest?

There’s not really any “should” here, but to offer some advice:

  • If you take them too often, you might find you get bored of doing so and stop, essentially burning out.
  • If you don’t take them regularly, you may forget, lose this list of tests, etc.
  • Likely a good “sweet spot” is quarterly or six-monthly, but there’s nothing wrong with testing annually either.

It’s all about the big picture, after all.

Don’t Forget…

Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

Recommended

  • Psychology Sunday: Family Estrangement & How To Fix It
  • Is Your Gut Leading You Into Osteoporosis?
    Bacterioides Vulgatus & Bone Health: A recent study found that B. vulgatus suppresses the gut’s production of valeric acid, which enhances bone density. Valeric acid can be found in foods like avocados and blueberries.

Learn to Age Gracefully

Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • Low-Dose Aspirin & Anemia

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    We recently wrote about…

    How To Survive A Heart Attack When You’re Alone

    …and one of the items was “if you have aspirin readily available, then after calling an ambulance is the time to take it—but don’t exert yourself trying to find some”.

    But what of aspirin as a preventative?

    Many people take low-dose aspirin daily as a way to reduce the risk of atherothrombosis specifically (and thus, indirectly, they hope to reduce the risk of heart attacks).

    The science of how helpful this is both clear and complicated—that is to say, the stats are not ambiguous*, but there are complicating factors of which many people are unaware.

    *it will reduce the overall risk of cardiovascular events, but will not affect CVD mortality; in other words, it may improve your recovery from minor cardiac events, but is not likely to save you from major ones.

    And also, it has unwanted side effects that can constitute a more relevant threat for many people. We’ll share more on that at the end of today’s article, but first…

    A newly identified threat from daily aspirin use

    A large (n=313,508) study of older adults (median age 73) were sorted into those who used low-dose aspirin as a preventative, and those who did not.

    The primary outcome was incidence of anemia sufficient to require treatment, and the secondary outcome was major bleeding. And, at least 1 in 5 of those who experienced anemia also experienced bleeding.

    The bleeding issue was not “newly identified” and will not surprise many people; after all, the very reason that aspirin is taken as a CVD preventative is for its anti-clotting property of allowing blood to flow more freely.

    The anemia, however, has been getting increasing scientific scrutiny lately, after long going unnoticed in the wild. Given that anemia also gives the symptom “dizziness”, this is also a significant threat for increasing the incidence of falls in the older population, too, which can of course lead to serious complications and ultimately death.

    Here’s the paper itself:

    Low-Dose Aspirin and Risk of Anaemia in Older Adults: Insights from a Danish Register-based Cohort Study

    Want to know more?

    As promised, here’s what we wrote previously about some of aspirin’s other risks:

    Aspirin, CVD Risk, & Potential Counter-Risks

    Take care!

    Share This Post

  • Podiatrists Debunk 11 Feet Myths

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Podiatrists Dr. Sarah Haller and Dr. Brad Schaeffer put us on a better path:

    Don’t get wrong-footed

    We’ll not keep the 11 myths a mystery; they are…

    1. “You have warts because your feet are dirty.”
      False! Warts are caused by a virus, not dirt. Viruses can be picked up from surfaces like yoga mats, pools, gyms, and showers.
    2. “Bunions are caused by wearing heels.”
      False! Bunions are genetic deformities where the bone behind the big toe shifts. Heels might worsen them but don’t cause them.
    3. “Cutting the sides of my toenail will prevent an ingrown toenail.”
      False! Toenails should be cut straight across. Cutting the sides can make ingrown toenails worse.
    4. “Pedicures gave me toenail fungus.”
      Partially true! You can get fungus from many places, but safe, sterile pedicures are generally fine.
    5. “Only athletes get athlete’s foot.”
      False! Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection caused by warm, moist environments. Anyone can get it, not just athletes.
    6. “My feet are fine because I trained them to walk in stilettos.”
      False! You can get used to stilettos, but they aren’t healthy long-term. They shorten the Achilles tendon and put pressure on the foot.
    7. “You can’t do anything for a broken toe.”
      False! Broken toes can be treated and should be checked by a doctor. They may need to be set for proper healing.
    8. “It’s normal for your feet to hurt from standing all day.”
      False! Foot pain isn’t normal and can be prevented with proper footwear, support, and compression socks.
    9. “All inserts are the same.”
      False! Everyone’s feet are different. Some may benefit from over-the-counter insoles, but others need custom orthotics.
    10. “Sprained ankles are no big deal.”
      False! Sprains can damage ligaments and lead to instability or arthritis if untreated. Proper stabilization is essential.
    11. “If I can walk after an injury, I don’t need to see a doctor.”
      False! You can still have serious injuries like fractures even if you can walk. Always get checked after an injury.

    For more on each of these, enjoy:

    Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

    Want to learn more?

    You might also like to read:

    Steps For Keeping Your Feet A Healthy Foundation

    Take care!

    Share This Post

  • Fennel vs Onion – Which is Healthier?

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Our Verdict

    When comparing fennel to onion, we picked the fennel.

    Why?

    First note, in case you didn’t see the picture: we are talking about white onions here (also called brown onions, by virtue of their attire).

    Looking at the macros, fennel has nearly 2x the fiber and a little more protein, while onion has more carbs. An easy win in this category for the fennel.

    In the category of vitamins, fennel has more of vitamins A, B2, B3, B5, B9, C, E, K, and choline (most of them by generous margins and some by especially large margins, we are talking, for example, 480x the vitamin A, 29x the vitamin E, and 157x the vitamin K), while onions have more of vitmains B1 and B6. Another clear win for fennel.

    When it comes to minerals, fennel has more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, while onion is not higher in any minerals. No prizes for guessing: fennel wins this category too.

    You may be curious as to how they add up on the polyphenol front, and the answer is, they don’t, much. Wonderful as these two vegetables are, an abundance of polyphenols is not amongst their strengths; fennel has some lignans and onion has some flavonols, but we’re talking tiny numbers here (in contrast, red onion would have aced it with 120mg/100g quercetin, amongst others, but red onion wasn’t on trial today).

    Adding up the sections makes a clear win for fennel today.

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    What’s Your Plant Diversity Score?

    Take care!

    Share This Post

Related Posts

  • Psychology Sunday: Family Estrangement & How To Fix It
  • Lucid Dreaming – by Stephen LaBerge Ph.D.

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    For any unfamiliar: lucid dreaming means being aware that one is dreaming, while dreaming, and exercising a degree of control over the dream. Superficially, this is fun. But if one really wants to go deeper into it, it can be a lot more:

    Dr. Stephen LaBerge takes a science-based approach to lucid dreaming, and in this work provides not only step-by-step instructions of several ways of inducing lucid dreaming, but also, opens the reader’s mind to things that can be done there beyond the merely recreational:

    In lucid dreams, he argues and illustrates, it’s possible to talk to parts of one’s own subconscious (Inception, anyone? Yes, this book came first) and get quite an amount of self-therapy done. And that hobby you wish you had more time to practice? The possibilities just became limitless. And who wouldn’t want that?

    Grab Your Bedtime Reading From Amazon Now!

    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • Basil vs Oregano – Which is Healthier?

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Our Verdict

    When comparing basil to oregano, we picked the basil.

    Why?

    You may be thinking: these are just herbs; we don’t eat enough of these for the nutritional values to be relevant!

    And to this we say: there’s nothing stopping you :p Herbs are full of flavor and goodness and there is really no reason to deny yourself. On this note, check out the sabzi khordan (traditional Levantine herb platter), linked below. You’ll start thinking about herbs in new ways, and you can thank us later!

    Now, in terms of macros, nominally basil has more protein and oregano has more carbs and fiber, but the numbers are so close in each case that we’re going to call this category a tie.

    When it comes to vitamins, things get more interesting: basil has more of vitamins B2, B3, B6, B9, K, and choline, while oregano has more of vitamins A, B1, B5, C, and E. This means a 6:5 win for basil, but note how the two herbs together give an impressive vitamin coverage. In other words, they complement each other nutritionally, not just culinarily!

    In the category of minerals, basil has more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, while oregano has more selenium. Now, this is obviously a clear win for basil, but we’d like to highlight that both of these herbs are incredibly rich in minerals (i.e. oregano is a very good source of all those minerals we listed for basil, too!); it’s just that basil has even more of most of them.

    When looking at any nutrient-dense food (which most herbs are), it’s worth looking at polyphenols. In this case, both are very abundant in polyphenols, and/but their respective numbers are close enough to be within each other’s margin of variation (i.e. exact numbers will depend on the individual plant’s life history), so this category is a tie.

    Adding up the sections makes for an overall clear win for basil, but absolutely please do enjoy both unless you have a good reason not to—they complement each other so well, in nutrients as well as in flavor!

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    Enjoy!

    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • People on Ozempic may have fewer heart attacks, strokes and addictions – but more nausea, vomiting and stomach pain

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Ozempic and Wegovy are increasingly available in Australia and worldwide to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

    The dramatic effects of these drugs, known as GLP-1s, on weight loss have sparked huge public interest in this new treatment option.

    However, the risks and benefits are still being actively studied.

    In a new study in Nature Medicine, researchers from the United States reviewed health data from about 2.4 million people who have type 2 diabetes, including around 216,000 people who used a GLP-1 drug, between 2017 and 2023.

    The researchers compared a range of health outcomes when GLP-1s were added to a person’s treatment plan, versus managing their diabetes in other ways, often using glucose-lowering medications.

    Overall, they found people who used GLP-1s were less likely to experience 42 health conditions or adverse health events – but more likely to face 19 others.

    myskin/Shutterstock

    What conditions were less common?

    Cardiometabolic conditions

    GLP-1 use was associated with fewer serious cardiovascular and coagulation disorders. This includes deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, cardiac arrest, heart failure and myocardial infarction.

    Neurological and psychiatric conditions

    GLP-1 use was associated with fewer reported substance use disorders or addictions, psychotic disorders and seizures.

    Infectious conditions

    GLP-1 use was associated with fewer bacterial infections and pneumonia.

    What conditions were more common?

    Gastrointestinal conditions

    Consistent with prior studies, GLP-1 use was associated with gastrointestinal conditions such as nausea, vomiting, gastritis, diverticulitis and abdominal pain.

    Other adverse effects

    Increased risks were seen for conditions such as low blood pressure, syncope (fainting) and arthritis.

    Ozempic in the fridge
    People who took Ozempic were more likely to experience stomach upsets than those who used other type 2 diabetes treatments. Douglas Cliff/Shutterstock

    How robust is this study?

    The study used a large and reputable dataset from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. It’s an observational study, meaning the researchers tracked health outcomes over time without changing anyone’s treatment plan.

    A strength of the study is it captures data from more than 2.4 million people across more than six years. This is much longer than what is typically feasible in an intervention study.

    Observational studies like this are also thought to be more reflective of the “real world”, because participants aren’t asked to follow instructions to change their behaviour in unnatural or forced ways, as they are in intervention studies.

    However, this study cannot say for sure that GLP-1 use was the cause of the change in risk of different health outcomes. Such conclusions can only be confidently made from tightly controlled intervention studies, where researchers actively change or control the treatment or behaviour.

    The authors note the data used in this study comes from predominantly older, white men so the findings may not apply to other groups.

    Also, the large number of participants means that even very small effects can be detected, but they might not actually make a real difference in overall population health.

    Woman runs on a road
    Observational studies track outcomes over time, but can’t say what caused the changes. Jacob Lund/Shutterstock

    Other possible reasons for these links

    Beyond the effect of GLP-1 in the body, other factors may explain some of the findings in this study. For example, it’s possible that:

    • people who used GLP-1 could be more informed about treatment options and more motivated to manage their own health
    • people who used GLP-1 may have received it because their health-care team were motivated to offer the latest treatment options, which could lead to better care in other areas that impact the risk of various health outcomes
    • people who used GLP-1 may have been able to do so because they lived in metropolitan centres and could afford the medication, as well as other health-promoting services and products, such as gyms, mental health care, or healthy food delivery services.

    Did the authors have any conflicts of interest?

    Two of the study’s authors declared they were “uncompensated consultants” for Pfizer, a global pharmaceutical company known for developing a wide range of medicines and vaccines. While Pfizer does not currently make readily available GLP-1s such as Ozempic or Wegovy, they are attempting to develop their own GLP-1s, so may benefit from greater demand for these drugs.

    This research was funded by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, a government agency that provides a wide range of services to military veterans.

    No other competing interests were reported.

    Diabetes vs weight-loss treatments

    Overall, this study shows people with type 2 diabetes using GLP-1 medication generally have more positive health outcomes than negative health outcomes.

    However, the study didn’t include people without type 2 diabetes. More research is needed to understand the effects of these medications in people without diabetes who are using them for other reasons, including weight loss.

    While the findings highlight the therapeutic benefits of GLP-1 medications, they also raise important questions about how to manage the potential risks for those who choose to use this medication.

    The findings of this study can help many people, including:

    • policymakers looking at ways to make GLP-1 medications more widely available for people with various health conditions
    • health professionals who have regular discussions with patients considering GLP-1 use
    • individuals considering whether a GLP-1 medication is right for them.

    Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland and Emily Burch, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Lecturer, Southern Cross University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails: