New findings from the MIND Diet Trial suggest BMI may influence cognitive response to diet interventions.
NOURISH investigators contributed to this work, helping inform how dietary interventions may influence cognitive outcomes after stroke.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41058007/
You Take Care of Everyone Else. Now Flip It.
We schedule our kids’ appointments.
Our partners’ appointments.
Our parents’ appointments.
But we postpone our own.
Your heart is not optional.
Your health is not negotiable.
Book the appointment.
Take the walk.
Ask the question.
High Blood Pressure Has No Warning Sign
You can feel completely fine —and still have high blood pressure.
That’s why it’s called the “silent” issue.
Checking it is quick.
Ignoring it isn’t.
Walking Counts
You don’t need extreme workouts.
You don’t need to “train like an athlete.”
A brisk walk most days can lower your heart risk significantly.
Simple.
Consistent.
Effective.
Your Pregnancy History Matters
Did you have:
• High blood pressure during pregnancy?
• Gestational diabetes?
• Preeclampsia?
Those can be early clues about future heart risk.
Your OB history is part of your heart story.
Midlife Is a Heart Wake-Up Call
After menopause, heart risk goes up.
That’s not meant to scare you.
It’s meant to empower you.
This is the decade to:
❤️ Check your blood pressure
❤️ Know your cholesterol
❤️ Move your body more regularly
Midlife is not decline.
It’s a reset.
Being “Strong” All the Time Is Not a Health Strategy
Women carry a lot.
❤️ Work.
❤️ Family.
❤️ Mental load.
❤️ Emotional labor.
Stress doesn’t just live in your mind.
It affects your heart.
Taking breaks is not selfish.
It’s protective.
Heart Attacks Don’t Always Look Like the Movies
For women, it’s not always dramatic chest pain.
It can feel like:
• Sudden exhaustion
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Back or jaw pain
• Just feeling “off”
If something feels wrong, don’t ignore it. You know your body.
Your Heart Is Not Just a “Man Problem”
Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in women.
Not cancer. Not accidents.
And yet so many women still think,
❤️ “I’m too young.”
❤️ “I’m too healthy.”
❤️ “It doesn’t run in my family.”
Your heart deserves attention at every age.
ISC26 suggests that stroke survivors who feel unable to share fears/ feelings may experience more loneliness and worse 1 – year recovery outcomes, including cognition.
newsroom.heart.org/news/stroke-...
One of the interesting ISC2026 presentations highlighted a new risk calculator to predict dementia after stroke.
Our group has studied dementia risk prediction models across diverse populations (Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 2024): pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39394865/
#ISC2026 #StrokeRecovery
Vascular + neurodegenerative overlap is a key ISC2026 theme.
Our group’s work on MIND diet, and interest in ICAD informs NOURISH’s post-stroke home visit diet intervention model.
#ISC2026 #BrainHealth
Lifestyle & secondary prevention are major ISC2026 themes.
Our group’s BMJ + AJCN work informs the NOURISH trial’s focus on dietary intervention after stroke.
Check them out:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35418416/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35906190/
#ISC2026 #StrokePrevention
ISC2026 highlights growing recognition of post-stroke cognitive decline.
At NOURISH, we are testing whether MIND-aligned dietary intervention can influence vascular + neurodegenerative pathways after stroke.
Stroke is a brain health inflection point.
#ISC2026 #StrokeRecovery
Two papers worth revisiting as we rethink recruitment and what should be included in access pathways in neurology:
1. Clinical Trials — The Art of Enrollment
2. Incentives and Barriers to Neurological Clinical Research Participation
Read: tinyurl.com/2nmdau5w
Serious women’s health investment is evidence-driven + accountable + built through convening.
Start here: www.nationalacademies.org/projects/HMD...
Click: tinyurl.com/3fyumhy3
Women’s health is life-course health—pregnancy, midlife, menopause, aging all matter.
Read: nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/285...
Click: tinyurl.com/3fyumhy3
To change outcomes, we need to change systems. Training programs like IMPACT-AD help translate ADRD research and specifically women’s health research recommendations into betterADRD trials and care.
#WomensBrainHealth #AlzheimersResearch #ADRD #ClinicalTrials #ResearchWorkforce
Women’s health research must include disparities work—evidence should reflect who we serve.
Read: nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/285...
Click: tinyurl.com/3fyumhy3
If sex/gender aren’t built into design + analysis, we miss what matters clinically. (amwa-doc.org/our-work/imp...)
Click: tinyurl.com/3fyumhy3
Accountability matters: define, track, and resource women’s health priorities across NIH.
A New Vision for Women’s Health Research: nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/285...
Click: tinyurl.com/3fyumhy3
Women’s health research can’t be siloed—shared accountability frameworks must be developed.
Read: nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/285...
Click: tinyurl.com/3fyumhy3
Following my post on the NationalAcademies’ Women’s Health Research Report, I want to highlight action. Programs like IMPACT-AD help close evidence gaps by training a diverse ADRD clinical trials workforce. This is how equity becomes reality.
Click: youtu.be/iyMmkoKEoLI?...
This infographic is the roadmap: oversight +funding + interdisciplinary support + structure. A New Vision for Women’sHealth
Research: nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/285...
Click: tinyurl.com/3fyumhy3
IMPACT-AD seeks to expand ADRD trial leadership and by training a cadre of women physicians and researchers can help ensure women’s health priorities aren’t an afterthought.
Click: lnkd.in/gZhXPJnk
Read: tinyurl.com/mss7m8fk
Better research design + aligned funding = better outcomes for women across the life course.
Click: youtu.be/iyMmkoKEoLI?...
#WomensHealth #BrainHealth
Evidence → convening → recommendations. This NIH women’s health assessment documented multiple meetings + webinars to build actionable guidance.
Meetings: Assessment of NIH Research on Women's Health - lnkd.in/gen9NEVc
Women’s health research gaps affect everyone. The National Academies’ NIH report lays out why coordinated investment matters.
www.nationalacademies.org/projects/HMD...
#WomensHealth #NIH
Click: tinyurl.com/3j49vjev
The BetterBrains Trial highlights a personalized, multi-domain approach to lowering dementia risk. Targeting blood pressure, sleep, exercise, diet, and mood, this RCT demonstrates how precision lifestyle strategies can protect cognitive health.
Click: tinyurl.com/f4t4c8mv
At CTAD 2025, lifestyle trials took center stage. The Look AHEAD Program’s 10‑year results show how long‑term changes in diet, physical activity, and vascular risk factors can slow cognitive decline.
Click: tinyurl.com/3bjyt7bp
