Pressure points

The Brief

Welcome back, Wellworthy readers.

How you train, eat, and live now could shape your brain health decades down the road.

New research found that people who avoided high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking had a significantly lower risk of dementia.

This week, we’re looking at what those three factors have in common.

Here’s what’s inside:

• The surprising link between heart health and dementia

• A new fitness program for perimenopause and menopause

• FRESH THIS WEEK: A score that shows how much your sleep is aging you, a trail shoe built with car-paint tech, and mineral sunscreen made for runners
  

Here we go!

— Jake & Joana

The Breakdown

Researchers followed more than 12,000 adults for over three decades, tracking three common cardiovascular risk factors: high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking.

Then they looked at how those factors related to when people developed dementia.

People who avoided all three risk factors lived nearly 13 more years without dementia than those who had all three.

Why it matters

It wasn't just having all three that mattered. Each additional risk factor was associated with fewer years of life without dementia.

We tend to think about high blood pressure and blood sugar as heart-health numbers. But the brain relies on the same network of blood vessels.

High blood pressure and diabetes can damage the small blood vessels that supply the brain, making it harder for it to get the blood and oxygen it needs. Smoking can contribute to that damage, too.

The takeaway

You don't have to wait until you're older to think about brain health. Know your numbers, pay attention when they're elevated, and build habits that keep them in check. Dementia has no single cause, but some of the factors that shape risk decades later are already measurable today.

Just Dropped

New products and drops spotted → 

Health tech & self-care

Dumbo Health launched SleepLongevityAge, a new metric and membership that looks at how your sleep may be affecting your long-term health. It combines 51 sleep-specific blood tests with wearable data and physician input, then connects members to at-home sleep apnea testing and treatment if needed. Check it out.

Wattz dropped a high-performance mineral sunscreen for runners. It's SPF 30,  uses non-nano zinc, resists sweat and water for 40 minutes, and adds creatine and electrolytes for skin hydration and barrier support. Wear your SPF.

Rorra, the brand known for its countertop water filtration system, is now bringing its tech to a pitcher. The new Filtered Pitcher is compact enough to fit in the fridge, made without plastic, and targets PFAS, lead, microplastics, and 50+ other contaminants. Get in line.

Performance & gear

Raide Research introduced a trail running system specifically tailored to female anatomy. Its new TrailTech system builds storage directly into a cargo tank, shorts, and belt, letting you carry up to 900mL of water, gels, a phone, and even a rain shell without a backpack. See the system.

Mount to Coast just launched the M1, a new trail shoe built for long-distance runs and ultras. But the biggest update is what’s underfoot: a JETCELL midsole foam combines high energy return with the durability needed for long, rough trails. The material behind the foam was originally used in protective automotive film to shield car paint from rock strikes.  Hit the trails.

Zafiri, a travel platform for endurance athletes, turned its city guides into an interactive global map. Now, runners, cyclists, and swimmers can find nearby tracks, lap pools, bike rentals, group rides, athlete-friendly hotels, and post-workout coffee spots across 75+ cities, all in one place. Explore the map.

Aviron just expanded its treadmill lineup with three new models, including one built for some seriously steep training. The Summit reaches a 42% incline and drops to -6%, with hiking handles and controls for adjusting speed and incline mid-climb. Take a look.

Supplements & nutrition

Lemme is getting into longevity. Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s wellness brand just launched Lemme NAD+, a daily capsule that combines ingredients like NMN and resveratrol with Lutemax SkinGlo for skin health. It’s the brand’s first healthy-aging supplement. Shop here.

AG1 dropped its new AG1 Essentials Gummies, turning its daily greens into a chewable format. They pack 50 vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fruit and vegetable ingredients, plus 5g of prebiotic fiber. One thing to know: a full serving is eight gummies. Grab a pack.

Former college athletes and NIL stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder, known as the Cavinder twins, launched their first wellness brand. Go Two debuts with two single-serve drink mixes: Debloat, a watermelon-lime blend with ingredients like ginger, turmeric, and L-glutamine, and Sleepy, designed for winding down at night. Check them out. 

On Our Radar 

What's moving in wellness this week → 

Food ingredients are getting a closer look. This week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to require food companies to disclose certain ingredients to the FDA. The change would mean companies have to tell the agency about new ingredients (like thickeners or sweeteners) they plan to use in foods. We don't yet know how the process will work, but the goal is to give the FDA more oversight and consumers more transparency into what's in their food.

The race calendar is becoming a brand playground. 247 by Represent doubled the size of its annual MISSION.247 endurance competition this year. The 12-hour team event mixes trail running with the SkiErg: each hour, two teammates complete a 5.1K trail loop, and once one finishes, the rest use whatever time is left on the SkiErg. Each completed run earns 5 points, and every 250 meters on the SkiErg earns 1 point. The brand says it eventually wants to take the series international.

Mom-focused fitness is growing up. FIT4MOM, the 25-year-old fitness company for moms, is rolling out new programming across more stages of motherhood, including Stronger Every Season, a 60-day online program for women in perimenopause and menopause. It combines strength and mobility workouts with guided walks, nutrition support, and even hormone-health education.

Everyone wants a piece of hybrid training. As HYROX and hybrid fitness continue to grow, training brand Marchon is staking its claim with a new #HYBRIDLIVESHERE campaign built around one message: “Now the world has a name for the way we’ve always trained. Hybrid.” With everyone leaning into hybrid training, the campaign positions Marchon as an early player.