Dana G. Smith

2 months ago | nytimes.com | Dana G. Smith |Dani Blum

Over a decade ago, a smattering of studies suggested that early cousins of drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro could prevent, or even reverse, signs of Alzheimer's disease in mice. Now, as the next generation of these medications has soared in popularity, and scientists discover they may have wide-ranging health benefits, research is revving up to investigate whether the drugs that upended diabetes and obesity care could also revolutionize Alzheimer's treatment.

Jan 22, 2025 | nytimes.com | Dana G. Smith

Iain Tait is not obsessive about his health. He enjoys a drink and a party; he doesn't wear a fitness tracker. But Mr. Tait, 50, does pay more than $20,000 a year for a membership to Hooke, a private health clinic based in London with an emphasis on longevity. Discovering he had high cholesterol, and the sudden death of a friend from a heart attack, persuaded Mr. Tait, a wealth manager, to take his health more seriously.

Jan 7, 2025 | nytimes.com | Dana G. Smith

It depends on what your goal is. When Dr. Nir Barzilai met the 100-year-old Helen Reichert, she was smoking a cigarette. Dr. Barzilai, the director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, recalled Mrs. Reichert saying that doctors had repeatedly told her to quit. But those doctors had all died, Mrs. Reichert noted, and she hadn't. Mrs. Reichert lived almost another decade before passing away in 2011.

Dec 29, 2024 | nytimes.com | Christina Caron |Dana G. Smith

Are you feeling mentally ready for 2025? Whatever your answer, there are some tried-and-true habits to help you feel sharp, alive and well in the coming year - and they're easy to practice. As journalists who cover the mind and brain, we are continually asking experts about the behaviors, conditions and outlooks that influence mental and cognitive health.

Dec 21, 2024 | nytimes.com | Dana G. Smith

"The current 510(k) pathway is a joke," said Dr. Rita Redberg, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who previously served on a medical device advisory panel. "The things that get approved are just shocking."She gave the example of a device used to prevent blood clots, which uses a string to tie off a heart chamber. It was cleared in 2006 through the 510(k) pathway for being equivalent to a skin suture.