Show notes
Today, I am honored to connect with Dr. Zaldy Tan, a geriatric medicine and memory disorder specialist whose research career has centered on the Framingham Heart Studies Offspring Cohort. Dr. Tan currently directs Cedar Sinai’s memory and healthy aging programs, after previously leading the memory clinic at Beth Israel and Harvard Medical School. His book, Age Proof Your Mind, translates his clinical and research background into a practical framework for people trying to assess and protect their own cognitive trajectory.
In our conversation, Dr. Tan explains why middle age is the old age of youth and the youth of old age. We discuss common symptoms of memory issues and those that are reversible. We explore the Framingham Offspring Study and its impact on brain health over time, looking at the effects of sleep, depression, vitamin deficiencies, alcohol, loneliness, and nutrition, and Dr. Tan shares the three Ds, dementia, delirium, and depression- the red flags he sees in his clinical practice, explains how he helps prepare caregivers for caring for loved ones with neurocognitive memory loss, and discusses late-stage issues, medications, blood-based biomarkers, and the role of genetics in brain health.
Stay tuned for a truly fascinating discussion with Dr. Zaldy Tan.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
The importance of being sensitive to how your memory changes over time
Various factors that could contribute to memory problems
The profound effect alcohol has on the brain and neurologic function
How social isolation can increase the risk of dementia in future years
Dr. Tan discusses the Framingham Offspring Study and the links between metabolic dysregulation and brain MRI markers of brain aging.
How the 3 Ds, delirium, dementia, and depression, can overlap
The red flags in a patient’s history that lead Dr. Tan to believe there may be a more serious issue
What care partners should be aware of when a family member is experiencing dementia
The importance of protecting sleep and maintaining consistent sleep patterns for those with memory problems
How genetic testing is incorporated into Dr. Tan’s care model
Bio:
Dr. Zaldy Tan is the Director of the Memory & Healthy Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which U.S. News & World Report ranked in 2024 as the best hospital on the U.S. West Coast and among the top hospitals in the country. He holds the Carmen & Louis Warschaw Endowed Chair in Neurology and is a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Tan was the founding director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Tan performs aging and dementia research covered by The New York Times, Time, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Reuters, ABC News, and NBC News. He regularly speaks at major national and international conferences and is the author of Age-Proof Your Mind and What to Remember When You Are Forgetting.
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Dr. Tan’s book, What to Remember When You Are Forgetting, is coming out on September 15th, 2026. Pre-order HERE.