Weight loss is usually considered a good thing, unexpected and extreme weight loss can be a sign of something in your body going very wrong. There could be some underlying issues that are causing your body to pull weight and nutrition from your muscles and body fat to keep you going. As you grow old, your limbs grow weaker, and same for your muscles, so you do lose some weight as you age, but losing a lot of it too quickly could be a sign of something much worse, Dementia. A recent study published in JAMA Network Open 2025 Cardiometabolic Trajectories Preceding Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals, has identified potential early indicators of dementia, including significant weight loss and specific digestive changes, appearing years before noticeable cognitive decline.

The study showed that people who later got dementia had their Body Mass Index, or BMI, go down faster than those who stayed healthy. BMI is a way to see if someone's weight is healthy for their height. This drop in BMI started happening many years before they were told they had dementia, sometimes as early as 11 years ago. Also, these people often started with a lower BMI to begin with. So, even though everyone's weight might change a little as they get older, the people who developed dementia had a much bigger and faster weight loss.

What Are Some Other Indicators Of Dementia?

Along with their BMI, the size of their waist also changed. People who ended up with dementia had smaller waist sizes, and this difference was noticeable about 10 years before they were diagnosed. This means that their bodies were changing in ways that showed up long before they or their doctors noticed any problems. So, not only was there weight loss, but also a loss of abdominal fat. This measurement is important because fat around the waist can be related to other health issues.

The study also found changes in their blood. Specifically, the "good" cholesterol, called HDL, went up in people who developed dementia. This increase happened about five years before they were diagnosed. It's tricky because HDL is usually seen as a good thing for your heart. But in this case, it seems like it might be a sign of changes happening in the brain. Scientists are still trying to understand why this happens.

Weight Loss Doesn’t Cause Dementia, Dementia Causes Weight Loss

When we see that people with dementia lose weight, it's easy to think that the weight loss is what caused dementia. But experts think it's the other way around. They call this "reverse causation." This means that the brain changes that cause dementia also cause people to lose weight. The brain changes can affect things like appetite, how the body uses food, and how people go about their daily lives. For example, people might forget to eat, have trouble making meals, or move around less.

While the study revealed a lot about different indicators of dementia and bodily changes, there are many limitations to the study. Everyone loses some weight as they get older. So, it's hard to know when weight loss is just a normal part of aging and when it's a sign of dementia. The study found that people with dementia lost weight faster, but it's still tricky to tell the difference in everyday life. Doctors need to look at other things, like memory tests, to figure out if someone's weight loss is a cause for concern.

If someone is losing weight without trying, and they're also having problems with their memory or thinking, it's important to talk to a doctor. It's not just about the weight loss; it's about the whole picture.

A fall at home might look small, but for women older than 65, a broken hip can be a big and serious health problem. In real medical terms, this condition has a 20 to 30 percent chance of being deadly within the first year.

As people get older, their bones get weaker because of osteoporosis, which makes them more likely to break even from small falls. However, the bigger problem starts once the injury happens.

According to World Health organization (WHO), around 60 per cent of people living with osteoarthritis are women, yet awareness remains limited until symptoms begin to interfere with mobility and daily function.

Loss Of Muscles

Reports show that 70 per cent of women will get arthritis and osteoporosis. Most of them had no idea it was coming. HealthandMe spoke to experts to understand the reasons behind the trend.

Dr Gurdeep Avinash Ratra, Consultant - Orthopedics and Joint Replacement, Manipal Hospitals, Gurugram said that the development of these disorders is gradual and closely tied to physiological changes.

“After the age of 30, there is a steady decline in muscle mass, accompanied by a more rapid reduction in strength and power. With menopause, the significant fall in estrogen levels removes natural protection for bone density and joint health. Over time, this leads to increased bone fragility, reduced muscular support, and stress on joints, thereby elevating the risk of fractures and chronic joint conditions,” Ratra told HealthandMe.

Health Coach Prashant Desai in a post on social media platform X, noted that after the age of 30:

• muscle mass starts declining by 1 per cent every year.
• muscle strength declines three times faster.
• muscle power declines eight times faster.

Treatment

Experts said a hip fracture needs to be treated right away as a serious medical problem that requires care from many different medical specialists, not just a doctor who focuses on bones.

Dr Rajesh Kumar Verma, Director – Orthopedics & Joint Replacement, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali explained that limited movement can cause blood clots, chest infections, pressure sores, and loss of muscle quickly. Many patients also face a quick drop in their ability to take care of themselves, which can impact both their body and mind.

Also read: Suffering From Mid-back Pain? Doctors Say It May Be Spinal TB

“Delayed treatment further increases risk. Early surgery and prompt recovery treatment help increase the chances of surviving and recovering better,” Verma told HealthandMe.

How to Prevent

• Maintaining a healthy waist circumference as an early indicator of metabolic health.
• Engaging in regular strength training to preserve bone density and muscle mass.
• Ensuring adequate protein intake to support muscle maintenance.
• Incorporating sufficient calcium and Vitamin D into the diet.
• Remaining physically active, with exercise beyond low impact activities alone.
• Get medical help right away if you fall or think you might have a broken bone.
• Have surgery as soon as your doctor suggests it, because it can help you recover better.
• Begin physiotherapy as soon as possible after the surgery to help restore movement and avoid any serious issues.
• Make sure to eat well, paying special attention to getting enough protein, calcium, and vitamin D.
• Check for fall risks at home by looking at things like lighting, floor surfaces, and handrails.

What to avoid

• Do not wait to go to the hospital, even if the hip fracture pain feels okay.
• Avoid staying in bed for long because a hip fracture can lead to infections, pressure sores, and blood clots.
• Do not skip osteoporosis treatment for hip fractures because it is very important to stop broken bones from happening again.
• Avoid skipping follow-ups or rehabilitation sessions for hip fractures after the surgery.

World Health Day serves as a reminder that regular preventive health check-ups stand as mandatory health assessments that all women need to undergo for their long-term health.

Many serious conditions, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, thyroid disorders, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, often remain silent in their early stages, making regular screening the most effective way to detect them early, when treatment is simpler, less invasive, and more successful.

How Preventive Healthcare Can Help Women

Preventive healthcare enables women to take a proactive role in managing their health rather than responding to illness at an advanced stage. Early detection not only improves clinical outcomes but also effectively decreases treatment difficulties, emotional distress and financial costs while providing superior long-term life quality.

This also helps in identifying risk factors early, allowing timely lifestyle modifications that can prevent disease onset altogether.

Despite this, women often deprioritize their own health due to the multiple roles they juggle, balancing careers, caregiving responsibilities, and family needs. There is also a continued hesitation around discussing reproductive and intimate health concerns, along with a lack of awareness, fear of diagnosis, and social stigma, all of which contribute to delays in seeking timely care.

In many cases, women assume that the absence of symptoms indicates good health, which is a common but risky misconception.

Importance Of Routine Screening

Routine screenings such as Pap smears for cervical health, regular breast examinations, mammography where indicated, thyroid function tests, and basic metabolic screenings like blood sugar and cholesterol levels are critical tools in preventive care.

Periodic health check-ups also provide an opportunity for counselling on nutrition, mental well-being, hormonal health, and lifestyle management, areas that are often overlooked but equally important.

World Health Day serves as a reminder to shift from a reactive to a preventive approach. Prioritizing regular health check-ups, normalizing conversations around women’s health, and encouraging a culture of self-care can significantly improve outcomes. Investing in preventive healthcare is one of the most powerful steps women can take towards leading healthier, longer, and more empowered lives.

Aging is a significant factor in memory loss and cognitive decline. Now, a team of US researchers has pinpointed a single protein that drives these changes in the brains of the elderly.

In aging mice, higher levels of protein FTL1 weakened connections between brain cells, leading to memory decline.

But when FTL1 was reduced, the brain began to recover. It also rebuilt lost connections and restored memory performance, according to the study, published in Nature Aging.

Also Read: Eye Drops: US FDA Recalls Over 3 Million Products Over Safety Concerns

"It is truly a reversal of impairments," said Saul Villeda, Associate Director at the University of California - San Francisco's Bakar Aging Research Institute and senior author of the paper. "It's much more than merely delaying or preventing symptoms."

While the research was carried out in aging mice, it holds immense potential for human brain function.

FTL1: A Key Driver Of Brain Aging

In the study, the researchers tracked shifts in genes and proteins in the hippocampus of mice. The FTL1 protein appeared consistently different between young and old animals.

Compared to young mice, the older mice showed higher levels of FTL1. They also had fewer connections between neurons in the hippocampus and performed worse on cognitive tests.

Increasing FTL1 levels in young mice produced brain changes similar to those seen in older mice. The researchers found that this change occurs because of alterations in the way nerve cells produce FTL1 protein.

In older mice, the nerve cells that produced high amounts of FTL1 developed simplified structures, forming short, single extensions instead of the complex, branching networks seen in healthy cells.

Further experiments showed that in older mice, higher levels of the protein slowed cellular metabolism in the hippocampus -- the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

However, when researchers treated these cells with a compound that boosts metabolism, the negative effects were prevented.

Also read: This Unique Diet Slows Brain Aging By Over 2 Years, Study Says

A Promise For Future Brain Aging Therapies

Villeda believes these findings could pave the way for treatments that target FTL1 and counter its effects in the brain.

"We're seeing more opportunities to alleviate the worst consequences of old age," he said. "It's a hopeful time to be working on the biology of aging."

Also read: Exercising Could Make Your Brain Younger, Says Doctor

Here's How To Boost Your Brain

• Simple movements like squats, push-ups or resistance band exercises
• Indulging in mentally challenging activities such as puzzles, reading, strategy games
• Learn new skills like any language, or musical instruments
• Better sleep — about 7-9 hours
• Healthy diet — rich in leafy greens, vegetables, berries, nuts, olive oil, whole grains, fish, beans, poultry
• meditation, deep breathing, or yoga
• Avoid smoking, and drinking alcohol.