New Approaches to Women's Longevity

Maddy Dychtwald reveals strategies for life quality beyond menopause

Ric Edelman: It's Friday, May 17th. On today's show, the latest in Alzheimer's disease. Plus, a new book on women and aging, from Maddy Dychtwald. I've been part of the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative for a few years now, and this group has been working with governments worldwide in the race to treat, cure, and prevent Alzheimer's disease. 

I'm happy to share that a new publication just came out. The Scientific American Special Edition Magazine, called The New Age of Alzheimer's. It's a collaborative effort between Scientific American, and the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative. This special edition is a first of its kind. It's really a significant moment in the fight against Alzheimer's. 

This special edition chronicles the critical research and the calls to action that are going on around the world. Lots of great articles in there that I encourage you to read: The Hazards of Alzheimer's Caregiving, The Journey to the First Alzheimer's Drugs, Bill Gates and the Path He Sees to Overcoming Alzheimer's Biggest Challenges, How to Stop Alzheimer's Before Symptoms Appear, How to Lower Your Risk for Alzheimer's, New Cognitive Tests that Reveal the Warning Signs of Dementia, Eye Tests that Could Help Preserve Brain Health, Alzheimer's Impact on the Brain, A Look Inside a Model Daycare Center for Alzheimer's Patients, and See Where Alzheimer's is Going to Rise by 2050. The link so you can access the free magazine, it's in the show notes. 

Coming up next, a conversation with Maddy Dychtwald. She will join us as we discuss the topic of aging. A lot of folks are concerned about what their future is going to be like when they age, but frankly, it can be pretty darn exciting. Stay with us for more here on The Truth About Your Future. 

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Ric Edelman: You're listening to The Truth About Your Future. A lot of folks are concerned about what their future is going to be like when they age, but frankly, it can be pretty darn exciting. And to help us talk about that, I'm very happy to bring on to the program a really good friend of mine, Maddy Dychtwald. Maddy is the author of Ageless Aging her fourth book. Maddy, welcome to the program.  

Maddy Dychtwald: Thanks, Ric. It's such a pleasure to be here with you.  

Ric Edelman: Your husband, of course, Ken, you and he co-founded Age Wave. You and he together are among the world's leading experts on aging. I'm really excited about your new book, Ageless Aging, which comes out this week, available wherever people buy their books. Tell us, Maddy, why you decided to write this new book.  

Maddy Dychtwald: Well, for one thing, this book is targeted to women in their forties in their fifties in their sixties, seventies who are beginning to feel the aches and pains of getting a little bit older. Maybe they're dealing with pre menopause or menopausal symptoms, maybe they're dealing with a chronic degenerative disease like heart disease or diabetes. From the work that I've been involved with and the network of experts like yourself, scientists, academicians, researchers who have been involved in different aspects of longevity and aging, I gathered all this information and knowledge to clear up the confusion and provide women with the tools to really live better longer. It became a really, kind of a personal crusade.  

Ric Edelman: You called the book Ageless Aging, you coined that term, tell us the meaning behind all that.  

Maddy Dychtwald: Yeah, I coined that term back in the 1990s, so I'm dating myself here. I was speaking to a group of women executives and we were talking about well, what is old? We can control some of the negative impacts that time has on our body and on our minds.  

Ric Edelman: I've read your book. I gave you a blurb for the book as well. And one of the things I like about the book is that it isn't some academic tome or public policy piece – the book is quite actionable. You've got a lot of specific ideas that women can take very easily to increase health span, brain span, talk about a few of those that you do every day. 

Maddy Dychtwald: What I began to realize is that it's not just about one thing like diet, although that's obviously important, or exercise which I believe is kind of a silver bullet when it comes to age more agelessly. But it was also about sleep and being more positive about your own aging. It was also about our sense of purpose and social connection. So in other words, it's this kind of holistic recipe and by the way, finances is definitely one of the ingredients. These different ingredients don't exist in silos, they instead interact with each other. Just using finance as an example, if you don't have your financial house in order, you can start to feel really stressed out, which is really going to affect your cortisol levels, maybe create some high blood pressure, maybe some heart palpitations, you may have to access the health care system and you may not have the funds to do that because you don't have your financial house in order.  

Ric Edelman: In other words, the very reason you're afraid that you're going to get sick is what's going to get you sick and then you're not going to have the money to pay for it, which is what made you worried about it in the first place. I mean, this is a vicious circle.  

Maddy Dychtwald: It is a vicious circle. And the point is that these things all impact each other. Just as an example, in my life, I started eating a more anti-inflammatory diet when I was having some hip issues. And it's a really easy thing to do. And within weeks, my hip pain went away. But also my sleep improved. I felt more energy and vitality. I had more strength to do strength building exercises so that I could hold on to my muscle mass. So it had this kind of cascading positive effect. And that's good news. 

Ric Edelman: Talk about some of the items in the book that clearly are something that women need to be paying attention to.  

Maddy Dychtwald: Yeah, there's a few of them. For one thing, I think our healthcare system was primarily designed by men and for men. Just as an example, when it comes to prescription drugs, it wasn't until 2016, when the FDA actually told you that it would be a good idea to include women in clinical trials. Hormones are a critical piece of the longevity puzzle, and there's been so much misinformation that's been given to women on hormone replacement that is based on a flawed study that was done in the early 2000s. That information needs to be replaced. Women need to recognize that the symptoms of menopause and of pre menopause can cause health issues, including cognitive decline. You know, and I know, Ric, that women are twice as likely to suffer from cognitive decline as men. 

Ric Edelman: And that's a big part of the research that you and your husband Ken have focused on for decades. Talk about the impact of brain health and the steps we can take. 

Maddy Dychtwald: The good news is that while we used to think that there was absolutely nothing you could do, scientists now tell us, yes, there are things we can do to in fact prevent and delay cognitive decline. A new study that just came out told us there are three key risk factors for cognitive decline. One was diabetes. The second was alcohol. We've heard that alcohol can actually kill brain cells, but this study actually confirmed the fact that alcohol is toxic and you really shouldn't drink it, including wine. Which was kind of bad news for me. And the third thing was air pollution. Indoor air pollution in particular, getting an air filter in your bedroom is kind of a critical thing to do to help protect your brain. 

Ric Edelman: The book is Ageless Aging, written by Maddy Dychtwald. This is her fourth book from a 40-year career in the subject of aging and longevity. I encourage you to pick up a copy from your favorite bookseller. Maddy, I'm so excited for you. Congratulations on the release of the book. 

Maddy Dychtwald: Thank you. It's been a pleasure, Ric.  

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Ric Edelman: On Monday's show, sales of non-alcoholic beer is soaring. 

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Links from today’s show: 

VISION – Register Now: https://dacfp.com/2024-dacfp-vision/  

Ageless Aging (Maddy Dychtwald’s new book): https://maddydychtwald.com/books-and-blogs/ageless-aging-the-definitive-womens-guide-to-live-better-longer/  

Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative: https://www.davosalzheimerscollaborative.org/  

The New Age of Alzheimer's: https://www.scientificamerican.com/custom-media/the-new-age-of-alzheimers/  

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