Your weekly longevity insights are here.

Weight training slows memory loss — your brain might love deadlifts more than Sudoku.

Lifting twice a week bulked up memory and brain volume in older adults. Science says your hippocampus could use a gym membership, too.

Don’t keep longer. a secret—share it with your friends!

This week in longevity:

• 🫀 AI can now guess your heart’s real age

• 🧬 Gene on X chromosome may protect memory

• 🏋️ Weekend workouts still cut death risk

• 💪 Hang time as a surprising health metric

• 🧴 Skin-aging startup raises $20M for peptide tech

• Plus, more longevity breakthroughs.

Read time: 5 minutes

THIS WEEK IN LONGEVITY

FEATURED

🧠 Weight training may slow memory loss

A study in Brazil found that older adults with mild cognitive impairment who lifted weights twice a week for six months preserved memory and brain volume in key areas tied to dementia. They also showed stronger brain connections, while non-exercisers saw shrinkage and no memory improvement.

What to know:

• Brain areas stayed strong: The training group preserved volume in the hippocampus (the brain’s memory center) and precuneus (linked to awareness and spatial navigation), which usually shrink with aging and dementia.

• Memory performance improved: Only the group doing resistance training saw gains in verbal episodic memory (the ability to recall past events, conversations, and details).

• Brain connections stayed healthy: White matter (the brain’s internal wiring that connects regions) was better preserved in the training group, helping different brain areas communicate effectively.

• Workouts were focused and intense: Participants used common gym machines like the leg press and chest fly, training at 80% of their max effort twice a week for six months.

• It can work at home too: These benefits might also be possible using resistance bands or bodyweight exercises, making it more accessible for older adults outside the gym.

Why it’s important: This study shows that resistance training could help protect the brain just as much as it strengthens the body. For older adults facing early memory decline, lifting weights might help slow down the process and support long-term brain health.

FEATURED

❤️ AI predicts your heart’s true age—and future health

A new study from South Korea shows that AI can estimate your heart’s biological age using a standard ECG test—and that number might predict your risk of heart problems better than your actual age. When people had hearts that looked 7 years older than their real age, their risk of death and major heart events jumped. But when the heart looked younger, their risk went down.

What to know:

• Biological heart age matters: Researchers found that people whose hearts looked 7 years older than their real age (based on ECG data) had a 62% higher risk of death and a 92% higher risk of major heart issues.

• Younger heart, better odds: When the AI estimated the heart’s age as 7 years younger than a person’s actual age, the risk of death dropped by 14% and serious heart problems by 27%.

• How it works: A deep learning AI analyzed over 425,000 ECGs (electrocardiograms, which record your heart’s electrical activity) to build an algorithm that can estimate heart age from electrical signals.

• Why ECGs are key: The AI heart age also picked up on deeper issues like reduced ejection fraction (how well your heart pumps blood) and abnormal electrical signals—early warning signs of heart trouble.

• Who it could help: This could one day be used during regular checkups to flag people at higher risk, helping doctors catch heart problems early—even in people who feel totally fine.

Why it’s important: This study shows that your heart might be aging faster—or slower—than the rest of you. AI tools like this could give people a heads-up about hidden risks before symptoms start, opening the door to earlier care and prevention. It’s a glimpse into how smart tech could help us stay healthier, longer.

💡 Want to break it down fast? Try this prompt in ChatGPT, Claude, or Grok:

“Explain this in plain language. Avoid science terms. Keep it under 5 sentences. Then give 5 takeaways based only on this summary—no extra info or guesses: [Paste the article here]”

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

1. Too Busy to Exercise? Weekend Workouts Still Slash Death Risk
A massive UK study found that cramming all your weekly exercise into the weekend can be just as good for longevity as spreading it out. Over 90,000 adults were tracked for 8 years, and both workout styles slashed risks of death from heart disease, cancer, and all causes. If weekdays are hectic, your weekend sweat sessions still count.

2. Hidden Genes on the X Chromosome Could Help Keep the Brain Sharp
UCSF scientists found that certain genes on the usually inactive X chromosome (one of the two sex chromosomes—women have two, men have one) switch on as the brain ages and may help protect memory. One gene boosted learning in older mice by making more myelin (a protective coating that helps brain cells send signals). The findings could lead to new ways to support brain health in aging adults.

3. Want to Age Better? Aim for a Steeper Survival Curve
A new Nature study shows that some longevity treatments just make you live longer and stay sick longer—while others help you stay healthy until the very end. Interventions that “steepen” the survival curve (where most people live longer and die around the same age) actually shrink the time spent in poor health. More life, but also more good years.

LONGEVITY LAB

THE NEXT BIG THING

The First Touch-Enhanced Wearable?

Northwestern developed a skin-worn device that brings digital touch to life.

It mimics the full range of human sensations—twisting, sliding, stretching, and pressure—using a compact, wireless design powered by magnets and coils.

The device works with VR headsets and phones, offering a richer experience for gaming, shopping, remote care, and even feeling music.

A leap toward closing the gap between digital and physical.

LONGEVITY SNAPSHOTS

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

🧬 Inflammation Blocker: Scientists found that turning off a key gene slashed harmful inflammation from aging cells in flies, mice, and humans. The treatment lowered gut damage and aging signals like IL-6 (an inflammation molecule).

⚡ Energy Boost: Wellness startup Shed just launched at-home NAD+ therapy to fight fatigue, brain fog, and aging. Offered as a spray or injection, it helps recharge cells and sharpen focus by restoring this vital coenzyme.

🧪 Drug Discovery: Ora Biomedical just launched a robotic screen of 301 anti-aging compounds in worms. It’s the first step toward creating the world’s biggest open-access longevity drug dataset.

📱 AI Aging Hack: Arkansas Heart Hospital and BOND.AI launched 101+, a longevity app that analyzes 500+ blood data points for personalized anti-aging plans. For $999, users get insights to slow aging and prevent disease early.

🧠 Alzheimer’s Tracker: Scientists developed a blood test that shows how far Alzheimer’s has progressed by measuring a tau protein tied to brain damage. It could replace costly scans and guide more precise, stage-based treatments.

WHAT WE’RE BOOKMARKING

📱 Social

🎧 Podcasts

📰 Articles

⚙️ Tools to Try

Thanks for reading.

See you in the next issue.

Anna

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.